Orchestrated Puppets in the Wind
by saphirablossom
Summary: 21st century. Tokyo, Japan. Sebastian Michealis must deal with his newest mistress while managing the shinigami Grell Sutcliffe on the sidelines. Ciel Cross is having mysterious dreams that are a key to his past as Ciel Phantomhive. Fates intertwine...
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: _

_Hello! I can't believe I'm finally posting my first ever Kuroshitsuji fic (not that I've been lacking ideas!)! _

_I've been wondering and searching for a while to see what kind of original plot I could come up with, and even though I love writing stories that deal with a Ciel in his time during his contract with Sebastian (such tantalizing possibilities... XD), I also really like the idea of a reincarnated Ciel that slowly re-becomes Ciel Phantomhive as he regains his memories._

_The first half of the chapter is predominantly from Sebastian's point of view, and the second half from Ciel's (even though they're both in third person narrative). I'd like to think I'm writing something that hasn't been done before, except I know that some fairly talented individuals have already dealt with the whole reincarnation business, so hopefully I'll just lead you somewhere different (at some point! XD)._

_So, I won't keep you reading this silly author's note any longer, and I'll just hope you enjoy the first chapter of 'Orchestrated Puppets in the Wind'! ^^_

"..." = dialogue/present talking

'...' = means internal monologue (or sometimes quotations)

"**..."** = talking in English (for Ciel, so _yes_ Sebby speaks in Japanese)

"_..."_ = Memory talking (you'll see what I mean ^.~)

_**Orchestrated Puppets in the Wind**_

_By saphirablossom_

**Chapter One: Overture to a Déjà-Vu**

Down below in the dismal streets of Tokyo, it was indeed a fascinating thing to behold all of the human garbage one could assess in the space of a single hour of the night. Here lay the drunks who already at the early hour of one in the morning had dutifully wasted themselves away into the depths of an abyss only they could comprehend. There walked the flirty girls, practically _begging_ to the young men who passed by to lead them into one of the famed 'love hotels' that bordered the street, hanging onto them until one of them finally gave way to temptation.

'And a decidedly _human_ temptation it is...' pondered the lone figure that stood leaning against a nearby window, his head propped up against his arms as he lazily overlooked the depravity and general corruption of the lowly beings that stumbled their way below.

He let out a bored sigh as he watched a group of male teenagers walk by laughing as they drew smoke from their cigarettes, waiting for the girls up ahead to acknowledge them. After all, they couldn't _possibly _be the ones to ignite the dangerous flame of so-called 'passion' that was their game. No, only the women could incite them to enter such a ritual, they were _above _that.

The figure could have laughed at his one analysis had he not had to keep his voice down; instead he barely concealed a cynical scoff of dark humor that he knew could only be understood by his own person. That is, if he could even be considered a person. He wasn't exactly human, now was he? He almost laughed at that small thought as well before he brought himself back into check. Really, he should stop observing humans during their lowliest moments; it only managed to bring him into cynical moments of great laughter on his part, with much depreciation on _their_ part. Once again he scoffed into the crook of his arm, his dangerous smile barely concealed by said limb as he continued to overlook the busy nocturnal streets of modern day Shibuya, nestled in the bustling capital city of Japan, Tokyo.

Unfortunately, he should have known that his small ounce of enjoyment was to be short-lasted. The moment he began to settle back into his observational stance, he was somewhat surprised to instead receive a face full of what could only be a fluffy pillow, so damaged it was that a few of the cotton fluffs contained within it ended up in his mouth. Naturally, he quickly made to spit them out in his disgust.

"Positively nasty stuff..." he mumbled as he pulled the last bit of the offending material out of his mouth. Knowing he could only prepare himself for another onslaught at this point, he looked into the darkness behind him as he heard an angry shriek followed by an almost incoherent yell of,

"For the _love _of all things holy, what _possessed _you to wake me up in the most _un_holy hour of the night Sebastian?"

Despite himself, Sebastian couldn't help but smirk. Apparently, the lady was quite hell bent on swearing on the 'holy and spiritual', both things being that which he had no affiliation with in the least. However, he thought it wise to hold his tongue to a minimum, and instead retorted with a witty remark that wasn't half as offending.

"Technically Miss, it's already more like the early hours of the _morning_ at this poi-". Apparently, that _hadn't _been the right thing to say, as Sebastian managed to end up with another mouthful of cotton. Oh joy.

"Don't start playing smart-ass with me! You know _perfectly_ well what I'm talking about, so stop denying it! You're my manservant, got that? You do as I say, or are you renouncing our contract?"

Sebastian smirked as he once again removed the stale cotton from his mouth.

"Oh never mistress. I wouldn't _dare_ disobey you... However, I _have_ told you that demons such as myself like being explicitly told what they can or can't do..."

Sebastian's smirk only grew wider as he could practically _feel _the young woman opposite him writhing in her anger and frustration.

"Then in the name of our contract, I, Hanagizawa Arisu, hereby command you to _leave me the hell alone_!"

"Does that imply that I may leave if I so wish _mistress_?"

"I don't give a _damn_ about where you go so long as you let me sleep!"

"Very well then, I'll take my leave..."

"Yeah, you do that..."

As Sebastian grabbed the spare house keys that lay near the door, he could've sworn he'd heard something resembling 'stupid manservant doesn't know his place'. Still smirking with a great amount of glee, he left the small apartment, careful to lock the door behind him as he left. Even he could only be so insolent without facing consequences.

The demon gave a contented sigh as he leisurely strolled down the stairs leading from his mistress's designer suite (or so she said) located on the fourth floor, all the way down to the building's main entry hall where not a soul was in sight. Something Sebastian didn't really consider to be surprising as no one actually had any business in such a place at an hour this 'unholy' as Miss Arisu had put it. As he set out into the street bustling with nocturnal life, Sebastian clucked in slight annoyance. However much this woman was his mistress, bound to him by a contract, that didn't mean he particularly enjoyed her presence. In fact he was much inclined to say that it was the contrary. He'd accepted to make a contract with her as her motives had clearly been out of insane greed and a superiority complex that rivaled that of many the demon had met in his stay in the human world. Such dirty emotions that characterized her very soul made it a perfect delight to consume once it had matured to levels unprecedented. The very fact that she lived her scheme in the depths of lies made the whole idea even more appetizing for the demon. To think she was making him pose as her _darling_ husband from overseas, hailing all the way from England, while he was only a 'manservant' to her, the devastating tool that would bring her to her 'success'. Or as he put it, her downfall, as she didn't seem to understand that once she'd managed to gain what she'd always wanted, he'd be right there waiting to claim her sullied soul.

Arisu Hanagizawa; what a fool she was trying to gain, what was it? Financial control of the world's economy, all from her safe headquarters in the flourishing business her late father had granted her at his death? Sebastian chuckled at the pure idiocy. Humans were all the same, always pursuing the same self-centered goals that lead to nowhere but their own damnation. So superficial they were, their souls always tasting the same, with some a bit 'spicier' than the rest. And to think he'd been wandering this rotten world for over a century only to be granted this measly woman. Not exactly the prize he'd been looking forward to.

Sebastian sighed as he continued his walk through this lowly street of Shibuya lined with love hotels, skillfully avoiding the frivolous girls that he knew would fawn over him at the slightest of glances. It was a pain dealing with them every time he left his mistress's home, as he knew that he wasn't completely devoid of good looks; quite the contrary actually. He'd purposefully donned himself in this attractive physical look as he knew it would be aesthetically pleasing to humans (particularly the women, though he wasn't exactly picky). Never once in his stay in this world had he ever regretted giving off a pleasant-to-look-at aura, never. It had always helped him get away with more things than he could even remember. Then again... There was perhaps _one_ time where he might have wanted to become exceedingly nasty looking, and that had more to do with the undeniably disturbing reaction from the person (make that _thing_) in question that he'd been confronted with at the time (and multiple times afterwards). Just _thinking_ about him made Sebastian cringe in disgust, and even after all those years the sentiment hadn't diminished in the slightest.

As he turned into a nearby alley, hoping to wander off onto the Scramble Crossing a little ways down, Sebastian thought that with the combined fit his mistress had thrown coupled with his decidedly tiring thoughts, his night couldn't possibly get any worse.

"Sebas-_cha~n_!"

Apparently, it could, and once again apparently, the _thing_ in question hadn't really changed over time either... In the split second that followed, a heavy weight landed on his back, threatening to pull him to the ground if he didn't maintain his balance. Leaning forwards with all his might, he grabbed a hold of the offending body that was draped over him and promptly threw it onto the concrete ground with a deafening thump. With an annoyed frown, Sebastian looked upon the being that lay before him,

"Speak of the devil..." he spoke softly.

With a small grumble, the figure rose from the ground, a childish pout adorning his face as he looked up at Sebastian,

"But Sebas-chan, how could you throw a pure young lady to the ground! It's so cruel, especially since we've known each other for so long!"

"Grell, I do believe we've gone through this _countless_ times. You most certainly aren't a _pure young lady_. Quite the opposite in fact."

"Sebas-chan, how can you say that! And calling me a devil of all things! I should be the one calling _you_ that... Wait, but that means... You were thinking of me?" Grell looked up at Sebastian with what he assumed were supposed to be doe eyes, filled with a hope that was about to be crushed in the second that followed.

"Maybe I was Grell. Maybe I wasn't. That doesn't change the fact that your presence is currently pushing my limits of patience."

"Really now Sebas-chan, that's so mean of you. We've known each other for so very long now, and still you speak to me so coldly!"

"Perhaps if you changed, there wouldn't be a problem." Sebastian continued to walk down the alley, Grell following close behind, running as best he could considering he was clad in what Sebastian thought to be ridiculously tight scarlet jeans. At least his white button-down shirt was somewhat acceptable. Sebastian himself rather found that these slightly loose plain denim jeans that he wore accompanied by (sadly) an equally white button-down shirt gave him a certain appeal. Too bad it was always the wrong people that responded (namely Grell).

"Change? Don't you think I've softened down a bit? A hundred years is a long time to get used to toning down a bit, don't you think?"

"No Grell, you're still as insufferable as the day I met you." He noted with a certain amount of satisfaction that the death god's face fell a bit at the comment. However, he was rather quick to retort (as he sadly always was),

"As if you knew what I really like back then! You never paid me the right amount of attention. How could you, when you were busy fawning over that brat? I don't even get what was so special about hi-". Grell was cut short in his ranting when he caught sight of Sebastian's expression.

If the demon had been annoyed before, he was practically seething now. And that was when Grell chose to remember that the boy was a rather touchy subject with Sebastian. Never did they speak of him, and never was he brought up in conversations, even if the demon had no qualms about bringing up anecdotes about his previous masters (albeit unwillingly in Grell's presence). Somehow, though Grell had no idea why, the previous master Sebastian had had remained special and still held some importance to him. The first real clue to that was all too simply his name. The name changed as he changed masters, and yet the demon had been hell bent on keeping the name the boy had given him so long ago. He'd even presented himself before his newest contractor with the name. The loyalty (or at least that's what it seemed to be) was simply baffling for Grell, considering Sebastian _was_ a demon. Oh yes, of all the masters the demon had had before in his long life, it seemed as though the Phantomhive brat had undeniably left a mark; _his_ mark to be precise.

Meanwhile, Sebastian stood staring at Grell with a pair of anger-filled eyes. His eyes, habitually already a deep red had turned a dark crimson under the influence of his bout of fury. A fury he himself couldn't even begin to explain without stumbling into a confusing and truly undesirable territory. He'd known things were different with his previous contractor, no, his _Young Master_ the moment they'd began to engage themselves on the road to the fulfillment of said contract. The boy had been so different from the humans he was used to dealing with, and always remained very well aware of the price he was going to pay when his 'revenge' was complete. And in itself the act hadn't even been revenge. It was all a game to win back the proper amount of pride he'd lost that fateful night, and he certainly wasn't afraid to lose his life, his _soul_ in the process. The pure motivation had drawn Sebastian in from the very start.

And then the time had come. The boy he'd contracted with at the tender age of ten was no longer truly a boy; he'd grown into a sturdy young man of twenty years of age, still as prepared for the loss of his soul as he'd been ten years prior. And he'd died without regret, except perhaps that of leaving his fiancée and his annoying albeit attaching servants to fend for themselves. That had been when the first of many occurrences had transpired for Sebastian that had led him to believe that the best possible outcome was to never ponder about the Earl of Phantomhive lest he fall into a vicious cycle of thoughts.

He hadn't been able to claim his soul as his own, and had let him slip through his fingers. It was the first and only time that Sebastian hadn't been able to feast upon a human, and he couldn't even find it in himself to regret such a thing. And that had been the first of many, many things that had led him to this unexplainable fury today. Whether he accepted it or not, Ciel Phantomhive had changed him to an extent, and the changes weren't about to fade just yet, even after over a century of wandering aimlessly.

"Um, Sebas-chan? Maybe... maybe we should, um... go to the Scramble Crossing and grab some food...?" Grell attempted to calm the demon before things got out of control. Grell still cringed at the thought of the last time they'd fought, a mere thirty or so years ago. His poor face hadn't ever been the same since!

The demon looked at the death god, his fury already diminishing a bit. He knew that once Grell got on his case, it would be quite literally impossible to get rid of him before he was satisfied. He took a deep breath, sighing as he curtly nodded,

"Fine. But only just this once." Grell's face almost instantly lit up as he made a grab for Sebastian's arm, a grab he missed rather spectacularly when Sebastian had swiftly retracted his arm from the offending hand.

"So tell me Sebas-chan, how are things going with that new annoying distraction of yours? You know, Arisu something-something...?"

The rest of Grell's words were drowned out as Sebastian still (albeit dangerous) pondered over his previous master and their time together.

It seemed Ciel Phantomhive wasn't about to relinquish his hold on him anytime soon.

It seemed Ciel Phantomhive wasn't about to relinquish his hold on him anytime soon.

Or so it was that he perceived the situation up until now. Not that such a thing surprised him any longer. It took quite a bit to take him by surprise nowadays in any case. If he'd had to give the whole phenomena an actual beginning, he'd say it was around the time his parents had had the _brilliant_ (please note the sarcasm) idea of uprooting everything they had back in London to ship them over to Japan, his mother's home country, where apparently their combined businesses could easily flourish better than they already were in England. Even after a year, he _still_ wasn't seeing any actual changes that truly justified the move. He'd been quite fine in England, thank you very much.

Then again, perhaps he wouldn't have come to understand all the things he had if they _hadn't_ left his home country. That was really the only good part he saw in the whole thing, and even that could have been done in other ways, he was sure.

Already in London, he'd felt it when he passed in front of certain shops and streets, particularly in the older parts of town that dated back to the Victorian era. Strange pangs of familiarity, as if he'd just plunged head first into a déjà-vu even though he'd never set foot in the place, or snippets of images he wasn't quite sure belonged to his memory.

Then there were the names that came to him randomly. One of the more notable occurrences had been during a school outing in the shabbier parts of London, where the tour guide had presented them with a run-down building that could've been _anything_, ranging from a house to a doctor's cabinet. Said propositions had been given out by his classmates who were entirely stumped by the guide's inquiry as to the nature of the place. And he, the one who'd never set foot there and had never in his entire life heard of the long-forgotten place, had been the one to utter, as if possessed by a will independent of his own one simple word, "Undertaker...". They'd all looked at him, stunned that he'd even think something like that, when the guide had stuttered stupidly that it was indeed the correct answer, obviously unused to someone knowing the small bit of knowledge.

"That's so like you Mr. Cross! Always has a witty retort to everything!" his teacher had said with a smile, his classmates eagerly agreeing with him. If only they knew.

However, he'd have to say that the event that had truly triggered the most from him had been on yet _another_ school outing, this time on the outskirts of London where they were to visit the manor home of a long-dead count or what-not that had previously been the owner of the renowned English toy company, Funtom. Honestly, as if he cared for such trivial things. And yet he couldn't bring himself to say it out loud, as if the thing was a matter of _pride_ to him. An entirely silly thought he'd put into the back of his mind until the day of the trip when he'd learned the name of the semi-famous individual, who ironically happened to share his first name. The whole way their, his friends and classmates had teased him, calling him 'illustrious Viscount Ciel Phantomhive' and other such nonsense. It hadn't kept him from having another of his episodes at the name of 'viscount' an absurd annoyance bubbling within him as he'd snapped at the person nearest to him, "It's _Earl_ Phantomhive, not something as _lowly _as Viscount."

Honestly, why did he care about whether the guy had been a viscount or an earl? It wasn't his business, and he was dead anyway. Perhaps it had something to do with the fact that they were both named Ciel (a name, granted, wasn't exactly common)? No, even if it did, it didn't explain why he was so snappish on details. His friends, though initially surprised by his outburst, had eventually brushed it off as being a part of Ciel's absurd pride issues.

But that wasn't the only thing that disturbed him. The name Phantomhive, a name he admittedly had to have heard once or twice in his lifetime, rang a bell that echoed so deep within his memory, his very _soul _it even frightened him to some extent. It was as if he was trying to recall something he should know, something so obvious it was a sacrilege not to remember it. The more he approached the seemingly unfamiliar manor, the more the feeling accentuated itself to the point where Ciel almost felt sickened. But anything, _everything_ he'd felt up until now was erased the second he took in the sight of Phantomhive manor. A sense of nostalgia so strong it could've burned his heart took him over at every object he saw. That was when he began to see small flashes of memory this time he was _sure_ weren't his own; images of running up the stone stairway to the entrance, of sitting at a table that was no longer there sipping tea in elaborate china, of eccentric blonds decorating the entrance hall with frills and all girlish things of an awful taste.

The bedroom had held the greatest of onslaughts along with the office, where he'd seen so many images it was almost impossible to discern one from the other. Only one truly rang clear in the maelstrom of colors and sounds he was experiencing in the depths of his mind, a low, husky voice that rattled him to the very bone,

" _I am only one hell of a butler after all, Young Master..."_

After that had been the only time in his life he'd ever consciously asked a question to a tour guide, "Who was Earl Phantomhive's butler?" He'd been told that throughout his life, he'd been seen in the company of a butler all clad in black, and never once had he failed to be accompanied by the servant on his outings. And that was the only clue he'd ever gotten as to the whole thing.

It had taken Ciel an entire year more, along with his move to Japan, to finally figure out at the age of seventeen, and after many reoccurring dreams after said move, that he was in fact recalling his past life. His past life as the Earl Ciel Phantomhive, otherwise known as Queen Victoria's watchdog who'd passed away under mysterious circumstances at the age of twenty. And to think he'd been ridiculous enough to think he was being _haunted_! When Ciel recalled it, it had been an entirely silly idea from the start; who'd ever heard of a haunted person who'd never seen the ghost? And wouldn't his parents have sensed something as well? The mere idea of it made the young man scoff in disbelief at his incoherent thoughts.

However, even if he'd come to terms (as much as one can be expected to) with the fact that he _was_ in fact witnessing the life of his past incarnation, he knew that his knowledge of the entire scene was drastically incomplete. Thus, Ciel naturally wanted to discover the truth behind all the scraps of event he'd been privy to in his sleep, to piece together the fragments of the life of his Phantomhive counterpart. But then there was that nagging fear that if he in fact _did_ piece together the whole affair, he would effectively cease to be Ciel Cross and become once again Ciel Phantomhive. In other words, instead of it being he remembering memories of a past life, it would become the Phantomhive remembering memories of a future life that he once lived in ignorance. And yet somehow, the imminent danger of losing his identity as a person didn't stop him from desperately wanting to grasp the forbidden knowledge, like an Eve tempted by the fruit of eternal damnation. Ciel was quite certain that even the _devil_ himself couldn't dissuade him from his unlikely quest.

... And yet somehow such a train of thought felt disturbingly familiar. The whole affair was decidedly heading towards unexplored territory, that Ciel was certain of.

His parents, both in the business of emerging financial networks in England, had then had the unbelievable idea of uprooting everything he'd ever known to move, to all places, Japan. His mother's home country where apparently, they hoped to gain an even better business chart than they currently had. Ciel's first real problem with the move was brought about the fact that he didn't _want_ to move. He quite liked London and its quirks, its hidden places and mysterious paths that at every turn hid a secret to unlocking Phantomhive's past (he'd taken to referring to his past incarnation as such, finding that 'the other Ciel' was a bit awkward). Thus, it was only natural that he wanted to remain, knowing full well that Earl Phantomhive had never set foot in Japan of all places.

Another inconvenience Ciel was faced with was, strangely, regarding his last name. Despite his father being an Englishman, bearing the name of 'Cross' his mother (who's maiden name was Nakamura) insisted on being called something at least remotely Japanese. As such, 'Cross' had quickly become 'Kurosu' much to Ciel's dismay. Not only that, but he didn't exactly speak the native language every day of his life. Not that he wasn't confidant in his Japanese skills, they just needed more of a brushing off as they'd been 'laying in the dust' for quite some time. And it most likely didn't help in the least that his parents had chosen to move to Tokyo's hottest and trendiest district where he was sure all he'd meet were teens obsessed with the latest fashion: Shibuya, of all places. Ciel was most definitely in line for a hard adaptation time.

Ciel could only really find one positive thing in this whole deal, and that was the distinct feeling that if he went to Japan, he would end up discovering much more than he'd bargained for, gain far more than he'd have gotten had he remained in London, or even England.

It had, much like his little episodes of déjà-vu, begun with small pulls when his parents mentioned their imminent departure for the land of the rising sun. As if it were some sort of premonition, a promise of sorts that he wouldn't regret his move in the least. The feeling grew exponentially as the days passed by, mounting in his chest like some sort of dormant beast on the verge of awakening.

It wasn't until Ciel had set his first foot down onto Japanese soil that he became one hundred percent certain; if he was to gain any form of truth about Phantomhive's (and subsequently _his_) past, then he would undeniably find it here. Now the only thing he actually _needed_ per se, was the element that would lead him to small fragments of his decomposed past life. And as much as the feat had seemed feasible back in London, where he could pretty much deduce from extensive research where to go and why, in Tokyo, he was as he ever could be without a single clue as to what he should do. But then again that made the final result, the ending prize so much more gratifying than it initially was. He'd obtain Phantomhive's memories, even if it took him endless years to do so. And considering the vast amount of power and secrets the nobleman had had, Ciel was rather certain that he could only gain from procuring himself such knowledge, however outdated it currently was. One more reason to acquire the proverbial forbidden fruit.

"**Ciel! Would you please look this way dear?"**

Ciel looked around at the sound of his name and the familiar accented tone of the English he was used to. He was granted with the sight of his mother, Rika Cross née Nakamura, pulling one of their immense suitcases with much effort, looking to her son in clear annoyance at his inactivity.

"**Really now! Ciel, you should be helping your mother load the baggages onto the cart. And to think we're in Japan and you only answer when I call you in English."**

Had Ciel not been so drastically annoyed by his mother's constant nagging about speaking Japanese the second they arrived in the country, he would have found her adamancy as regard to the luggage rather comical. Unfortunately, the young man could only bring himself to pout childishly. And as if he didn't have enough of a load with his _mother_ constantly on his case, he had to have his father come into the scene, always prepared to defend his mother's opinion.

"She's right Ciel Kurosu, we're in Japan now. I thought we'd already talked this through? We speak Japanese from here on out, and it is _not_ a topic up for discussion." His father reprimanded him in a slightly accented Japanese, adding the end to his phrase upon seeing Ciel's retort hot on his lips. Sighing, the half English, half Japanese young man replied half-heartedly in Japanese,

"Yes Dad."

"Good boy. Now help us with the luggage instead of staring out into space for god knows how long." Ciel couldn't help but smile faintly at his father's attempt at a joke. He never _had_ been able to tell them in his native language, so how was speaking Japanese going to make things any better? Hopeful he wouldn't resort to those nasty puns people seemed to use as lame jokes around here.

That night, Ciel dreamt again of a past that wasn't his own, albeit strangely with far more clarity than ever before. As if watching things from an external point of view, he saw a younger version of himself, perhaps twelve or thirteen, sitting at a high desk in an elaborate chair, curiously wearing an eye-patch that somewhat distantly reminded Ciel of the pirate getup he'd adorned one Halloween. At such a young age Phantomhive, _he_ had been already working with complex papers to manage an entire economical empire? He _did_ know that Phantomhive had had to take management of the Funtom Company, but to this extent he'd had no idea.

If the scene had stopped there, Ciel would have been inclined to think that it was perfectly natural, despite the nobleman being a mere boy at the time. However, a soft knock on the finely polished wood door drew his attention to the other end of the room, where the said door swung open gently to reveal a person clad in black from head to toe, with eyes a crimson that was _anything, anything at all_ but natural.

"_Good afternoon Young Master. I have come to serve your afternoon tea."_

Ciel realized that this was most certainly the famed butler he'd asked about during that outing, the one who's voice matched perfectly with the husky, dangerous one of his last memory of this being. Somehow, watching the man move with a gentle and swift grace made his blood run cold with an abnormal sense of dread, as if he were sensing imminent danger. But that was silly after all, even _if_ crimson eyes weren't exactly what he'd call natural. He knew for certain that the butler wasn't wearing any contact lenses if he was to follow his history courses at school word for word. His counterpart looked up, he giving off the impression of an almost boredom as he gazed upon the surreal man just a few feet away as he spoke with Ciel's exact voice a few years back,

"_Right, and what have you gotten out this time Sebastian?"_

Sebastian... the name rang deep within him, as if he was truly _supposed _to remember that name above all else, as if the very name was the key to _everything_ he was searching for in earnest. So many emotions coursed through him, ranging from danger, blood lust and slight fear, to safety, hope, and something akin to a deep longing, one he couldn't even _begin_ to explain. And yet despite Ciel's troubled thinking, the scene between Phantomhive and this Sebastian carried out as if he weren't even there. Which he definitely _wasn't_.

"_For this afternoon, I have prepared for the Young Master only the best. Today's tea is the finest Darjeeling imported directly from India. I hope it is to your taste."_

After taking a sip, Phantomhive closed his eyes and nodded slightly.

"_It's rather good. I'll have it. But bring me something sweet."_

"_Now Young Master, we've already discussed your eating habits. No sweets now or you won't finish your dinner."_

Ciel could've laughed had his thoughts not been in such a turmoil. Apparently, he wasn't the only one who had a problem with sweets.

"_Tch. Are you giving _me_ orders Sebastian? Are you re-..."_

And the rest of Phantomhive's words faded away as abruptly as one turns out a light, leaving Ciel to wander lost in the realm of dreams, still wondering what it was he'd seen.

Oh yes, it seemed like Ciel Phantomhive still had a few more tricks up his sleeve...

**End Chapter One**

_A/N:_

_Phew! I don't think I've ever written something so long in the space of two days! Usually I need at least a month before I can get the courage to do anything, never mind think about it! XD It might have something to do with the fact that I'm on summer vacation and I just have that much free time on my hands... :D_

_I wasn't sure where this was going to lead me at all, so I pretty much let my inspiration drive me through the chapter. _

_We've gotten our first (really small!) glimpse of Sebastian's newest contractor Arisu (in other words 'Alice' which I think Ciel won't miss mentioning as hell bent as he is with his English!) who doesn't really seem all that nice. I didn't purposefully try and make her bitchy, but I think she kind of turned out that way against my will. Not that I was aiming to make her nice either, but oh well. I'd say if I had to compare her personality to anyone's, it'd be Doctor Kyle from 'Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle': manipulative and without scruples with a teensy bit of a psychotic and egomaniac streak. Just that. XD _

_I think I need to say it before anyone gets their hopes up, I unfortunately update stories at a rate that would even have you calling a snail a speed racer. Yeah, it's _that_ slow... I think things might go quicker since I'm on vacation, but as long as I work on pure inspiration, I can't guarantee it. I promise that _this_ time at least I'll try my best to be quick about it (damn right! XD)!_

_I hope that if you enjoyed the chapter (or even if you didn't, constructive criticism is always welcome!), you'll leave a review and tell me what you thought about. Any suggestions for character appearances and the whatnot is welcome too, and I think just about anything is good to mention! Hoping to see you again soon with a new update!_


	2. Chapter 2

_(Because I forgot to do it the first time around... ^^)_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Kuroshitsuji (most unfortunately). The brilliance that it is owned by Yana Toboso and any other people who want to claim rights to it.**_

_A/N:_

_Good, now that that's taken care of... I'm back! XD In the space of two, three days? I've even shocked myself! Thanks to all of those who left reviews (and those who favorited and all that too ^^)! It encourages me when I get some feedback, so I hope you'll continue to give it! _

_I really enjoyed writing this chapter, but there _is_ one thing I don't like about it. You see, I like Ciel better than Sebastian (is shot XD). But I wrote _more_ of Sebastian here than of Ciel! Which means that next chapter starts out from Ciel's P.O.V to compensate! This should please all Sebby fans out there though. :D_

_Right then, I won't bother you any more and I hope you enjoy reading as much as I did writing!_

**Chapter Two: Reminiscence and the Pandora Allurement**

And to think that for a mere moment last night, he'd _dared_ think that the eccentric and aggravating shinigami Grell was _worse_ than this! The sound of what he suspected to be quite a large amount of expensive porcelain vases shattering brought his attention to the far right side of the room he'd been trying to avoid at all costs.

"You _sorry _excuse for a manservant! You completely _stupid_ and _idiotic_ _bastard_!"

Sighing in an attempt to keep his temper and annoyance in check, he slowly turned to face the writhing and seething human being that was Arisu Hanagizawa as she lifted yet _another_ fine dish Sebastian recalled having been specially brought in from Italy, quite prepared it seemed to clobber him over the head with the tableware. With the best smile he could possibly muster, he tentatively asked,

"I don't seem to be following your train of thought Mistress...?"

If that had been supposed to calm the furious woman down, then apparently Sebastian was wrong once again. Unfortunately for him, his words had an all together opposite effect on her.

"And you _dare_ to pretend you have no _idea_? How could you do something like this when I _specifically_ told you not to!"

"Do... what exactly?"

"Oh you know _perfectly_ well what I'm talking about you demon!"

"Oh why thank you Mistress, that's such a lovely complement to gi-"

And _again_, that _really_ hadn't been the right thing to say, as a split second later, Sebastian could only watch as he received a particularly heavy-looking (and feeling) vase directly on his head. He silently thanked the fact that he was a demon; a mere human could never have taken such a blow without at _least_ being rendered unconscious.

"Cut the be damned _crap_ with me _right now_! How could you jeopardize my plans and our careful calculation by going out at night with another woman? You're supposed to be my _husband_ for god's sake! What do you think Sasaki-san thought last night when she saw you drinking coffee at the Sunshine with someone other than_ me_?"

For once, it seemed Sebastian was completely baffled. Since when was he going out with other women? Why would he waste his time having to deal with _another_ one of those superficial human females he so despised unless they brought him some form of interest (a thing he had yet to see), when he _already_ had to face the inconvenience of dealing with _one_ of them as a mistress? As far as Sebastian's reasoning went, the mere thought of it was entirely illogical. Apparently, Miss Arisu though otherwise. And to think that _this_ excuse for a woman was one of the more sought after beauties of the capital. Honestly, those human men lacked in taste if they went for such depravity and frivolousness.

And even that thought aside, how on earth had their slightly elderly neighbor managed to catch a glimpse of him with this said 'imaginary woman'? At the Sunshine of all places. He knew for a fact that the woman rarely, if ever, left her domicile located a scarce floor below them for a place such as the Scramble Crossing, and when she _did_ it was usually only to meet up with an important client or business associate, and she never stayed long. The fact that she'd been wandering anywhere _near_ the Scramble Crossing of her own accord was an exceedingly peculiar event in itself.

Not only that, but just _where_ had this so-called woman he'd been sharing a cup of coffee with been? Last night, he _had _in fact been at the Sunshine, one of the better-known cafés in Shibuya, but that had only been with that incredibly irritating shinigami _Grell _on his insistence, so whe-

_Oh_.

Oh yes indeed _'oh'_. Only Grell could pull of being mistaken as a woman from afar.

'From _very_ far...' Sebastian mused in all his cynical glory, a bit ticked off that the shinigami had at last managed to be confused with the gender he seemed to desperately want to be a part of. He was, as such, quick to respond to his still seething mistress,

"I'm afraid you're quite mistaken Mistress. I in fact _was_ at the Sunshine last night, but it most certainly _wasn't_ in the company of another woman. You know I would never jeopardize your goals as it _is_ an explicit part of our contract."

Miss Arisu blinked in mild surprise before a frown creased her face once more, though Sebastian was happy to observe that it wasn't nearly as accentuated as it had been previously.

"Then who was it? Who could you have been having coffee with at one in the morning? Certainly not a friend of yours considering you don't have any..."

"Oh but I do have acquaintances Mistress."

"You mean... one of _your_ kind?" she asked tentatively, somehow nervous all of a sudden.

"Certainly not. Never would I even _think_ to put such garbage in the same lot as myself. We've merely known each other since... well let's just say it's been quite a long time by your standards."

Miss Arisu blinked again. She looked partially stunned into silence, a thing Sebastian was deeply grateful for. It seemed that every time she talked, she let out a constant string of extremely irritating comments that eventually pushed Sebastian into using bouts of sarcasm and cynical retorts, something he hadn't had the pleasure to do daily in a long time now. Except perhaps with Grell, but that was an entirely different matter, as those sorts of things tended to, sadly, bounce right off of the shinigami.

Seeming as though she'd regained her bearings, Miss Arisu cleared her throat and adopted her more serious disposition, a thing Sebastian always found the chance to laugh at, albeit interiorly. How fake could this woman _possibly_ get?

"Right then, I _order_ you to go and explain yourself to Sasaki-san before any of this gets out of hand. Because if it _does_, rest assured that it won't go unpunished _manservant_."

"As you wish Mistress."

"Good. And when you're done with that old woman, make sure to get back up here. It seems I've been encountering a few... problems as of late on the Japanese market. As of late meaning as of one week ago."

"Of course Mistress, it shall be dealt with in the briefest delays."

"It better be. Now hurry up!"

And for the second time in the space of not even two days, Sebastian found himself thrown out of his mistress's home on account of one of her more ridiculous commands. He quite honestly didn't see the problem with this Sasaki woman spreading a so-called rumor of his 'adultery'. Certainly, it might get as far as the press and those nasty tabloid magazines that had developed exponentially over the last thirty or so years, create a nice little scandal that would keep the ladies prone to gossip interested for three weeks at the very most. It wasn't as though the woman wouldn't be able to get back on her feet, even if Sebastian understood the reasoning behind her intention to deny the false accusations. Miss Arisu didn't want to ruin her stellar reputation with something so dirty. He scoffed as silently as he could muster at the thought of such cowardice. Why if it had been his _Young Master_, Sebastian was sure he would have taken the blow and worked his dirty way to salvaging his pride before getting back on his feet again. It was only natural to do such a thing when one represented the Queen of England and bore the name of Phantomhive...

Sebastian's eyes widened in something akin to disbelief and dawning realization. When for over a century he'd been able to refrain from ever bringing up his previous master, here he'd gone and ruined that by mentioning and _thinking_ about him explicitly for two days straight. And just when Sebastian was praising himself for his exemplary self control that rivaled that of many demons and humans alike (not that he especially _liked_ comparing his kind to lowly human filth). Leaning against the wall adjacent to the state of the art elevator the building possessed, he put his face in his hand while he chided himself quietly. No more of this behavior could be tolerated, not because of 'loyalty' (which was non-existent) towards his newest master, but more in the name of his pride and aesthetics as a demon. Who had ever heard of a demon enthralled to the point of almost _obsession _(Sebastian, thought denying himself thoughts regarding his previous master, wasn't _completely_ delusional either) with something as _lowly_ and _ephemeral _as a human being? It simply couldn't exist, and yet here he was, doing just that.

Sebastian sighed in what passers-by could relate to exasperation. He truly needed to get a better grip on himself, lest he start thinking and doing things that would compromise his current contract. As much as he didn't like the woman, a meal was still a meal, and he'd learned from experience that (_especially_ in cases such as this), time was the only ingredient that would bring the soul to be 'ripe for the pick' as he put it. And he hadn't feasted upon a decent soul in _so very long_...

"Ah Michealis-san. Who would have thought I'd see _you_ of all people here this morning..."

Sebastian was effectively ripped from his musings by the harsh and sly undertone in the voice of the rather aged woman walking up to the elevator that he was currently standing next to. Despite her age, the demon had to admit that she'd kept at least _some_ of what he suspected was her youthful charm, as her eyes seemed to draw the attention of every male she met. Except Sebastian of course, as he held no interest in such things. Human pleasures were as useless to him as they could be compromising. It was just his extraordinary luck that Shiki Sasaki had managed to find him before he'd even set out to knock at her door.

"Good morning Sasaki-san. I trust you've been well?" Her shadow of a smile disappeared completely from her face as she looked upon him with obvious disdain.

"Now then Michealis-san. I'd have never thought that _you_ of all people could act so... _nonchalantly_ after such a poor display. I'm certain you know what I mean, considering I saw your newest _companion_ and yourself doing who-knows-what at ungodly hours of the morn."

Sebastian's face now adorned a smirk of amusement. Such a foolish and narrow-minded woman she was.

"If drinking a simple cup of coffee with an old _male_ acquaitance of mine is what you mean, then yes indeed, we speak of the same event."

Sasaki-san's eyes narrowed considerably at his remark.

"You say that was a _man_? I'm not very inclined to believe you. And even _if_ it was, it doesn't tell me why you chose such a dubious hour to meet."

"We had no other time slot, my dearest wife will tell you the same."

"She seemed quite surprised when we spoke of the event this morning."

"Of course, since you mentioned a woman instead of the man I was catching up with."

Sasaki-san still didn't seem quite convinced with his explanation, and yet she didn't seem to be capable of finding anything more to retort. He _was_ a demon after all; one shouldn't be surprised that he could pull off something such as this. Looking at him with a, regardless of his defense, doubtful eye, she elegantly walked into the elevator shaft, her high heels clicking on the marble floors as she passed him by. The smirk adorning his lips didn't leave even as the spotless doors of steel closed once again, leaving Sebastian alone in the fourth floor hall. Well at least _that_ tedious task was taken care of. His mistress had ordered him to return once he'd finished explaining himself to Sasaki-san, though he had a very strong inclination to say that she expected him back at a far later time, under the impression he would take more care in his explanations. It wouldn't do any harm if he decided to go wandering a bit. After all, it wasn't as if he was _explicitly_ disobeying the contract; Miss Arisu had said to return after speaking with her despicable neighbor, but she hadn't said _how long_ after said conversation. His smirk grew a bit more if it was even possible at this point.

'Oh well, her loss I suppose.' He mused.

And with that, Sebastian decided to wander back to the infamous Sunshine café, not so much to have a cup of coffee as much as he just wanted some time to ponder and get away from the mistress he was steadily growing to detest the more days flew by.

He still remembered with stunning clarity the day he'd been summoned by the woman. If his estimations were correct, the event had to have taken place a little over a year prior...

_Hatred. Jealousy. Blood. All these things he smelled with a presence and a force unlike many he'd encountered before._

_Greed. Need. Such _human_ emotions to behold, so strong and so clear that they pulled him towards the source as an insect flocks to the brightest light. _

_Though perhaps the analogy wasn't exactly accurate, per se. He certainly wasn't an insect drawn to light. Oh no, he was more of a vulture drawn to a dying corpse, a hungry beast drawn to its feed. For as much as it was dirty beyond belief, the soul rang clear above all the others he'd encountered for so very long._

_Materializing into a room he assumed under normal circumstances was of a sterile white; he laid eyes upon the carnage of crimson that was splayed across the floors and walls, dying the place with the color of fear and death, not unlike his previous summoning. Human corpses lay sprawled out in grotesque positions, the bodies mangled beyond all recognition. And right in the center of this glorious massacre was a kneeling woman, her entire body dyed the color of her victims as she laughed a laugh so cruel and chilling it would have struck him down in fear had he not already been a demon capable of far, _far_ worse. _

"_What a feisty mistress you are indeed. Unable to contain yourself from... _playing_ shall we call it?"_

_The woman's laughter ceased abruptly as she turned towards him, her face suddenly filled with a great fear. He grinned. How predictable. Of course she feared him, as she believed she had discovered her darkest secret and was about to go and condemn her to die a criminal's death. Not that she shouldn't but considering he was to forge a contract with her, it would end up being slightly problematic._

"_Oh fear not Miss. I am but your faithful demon servant who wishes to make a contract with you."_

"_A-a contract? W-what do you...?"_

"_I shall do anything and everything you desire to allow you to reach whatever ultimate goal you may have, all this in exchange for your soul."_

"Anything_ I want...?"_

_Already the natural greed of human kind was seeping through her veins like a sweet poison. As he'd expected, eternally predictable these humans were._

"_Oh yes, _anything_, be it beyond your wildest dreams or not."_

_Her smile widened into that of crazed being moved by her sole desire to gain and to destroy whatever may lie on her path. Like they all were as he'd seen over the course of his stay here. _

"_Then you'll help me on my way to greatness! Hah yes!" _

_And with that, the contract seal appeared on his right hand while in a flash of light, the same seal materialized on the woman's upper left thigh. Such a _compromising _place, scandalous even. He smirked as the information regarding his new contractor raced through his mind's eye._

_Arisu Hanagizawa, aged of twenty-one years was going to provide him a basic interest for a while longer it seemed..._

Well, twenty-one years wouldn't exactly be accurate as of present, now would it? Miss Arisu had had the time to turn twenty-two in the time Sebastian had been contracted to her, and he now found that what he'd initially believed would bring him some form of entertainment (and eventually nourishment) was in fact bland and without any true savor, something he immensely regretted. The woman, despite the apparent sharpness of her amber eyes and the radiance of her golden curls was as dull as they came, and Sebastian knew he would have to continue dealing with that for the time being.

By the time Sebastian had stopped immersing himself in his musings and taken a better look around, he was pleased to notice he'd already made it to the Scramble Crossing, and began adamantly searching for the Sunshine. Upon arrival, his slightly better mood took a turn for the worse when he caught sight of the two people (_things_) he despised the most sitting at a table, apparently discussing something of the highest importance.

On of these individuals was of course Grell Sutcliffe, still dressed in his tight red jeans and white button-down shirt from last night, talking adamantly to a man who seemed slightly more aged, he however, dressed like the typical Japanese salary man, forcing himself to listen to Grell's ranting. Of all the people he truly _didn't_ want to meet, it just _had_ to be these two. As he tried to slink past their table, he caught a few snippets of their conversation, mostly constituted of Grell's complaining,

"But Will! How can you say something like that! You know what happened last time _he _was around!"

_He_? Who was this 'he'? Though he somehow wished that it was himself the red-head was speaking of, he knew quite well that the day the shinigami began to hate him, Sebastian would have to begin contemplating a great number of things as to the world's continued balanced existence.

"Sutcliffe, it's a fact. Whether you accept it or not is entirely up to you, but you can't change what is already done."

"But-"

"And _no_, you may _not_ try and eradicate him yourself. This is coming from even higher ups than myself, so under no circumstances may you intervene. If they meet, then it's been foreordained."

Sebastian couldn't help himself. As much as he disliked Grell's company, he quite enjoyed ruffling the more serious shinigami's feathers, and their topic of discussion seemed, for once, most intriguing.

"Excuse me for interrupting, but your conversation seems rather interesting. Care to share?"

They both looked up at him in surprise (though he had to admit William's was _far_ less pronounced) as he took a seat beside them, an extremely rare occurrence. While William frowned in something Sebastian was quite prepared to bet was a mild form of disgust, Grell literally threw his arms around the demon in greeting,

"_Sebas-chan_! You came back to me on your own! I _knew_ we were made for each othe-"

And once again, Grell's shenanigans were put to a stop by Sebastian's rather forceful retort, in other words, an apparently painful punch to the face that landed the redheaded shinigami on the floor. A great number of people turned to look at them to fin the cause of such a commotion.

"Grell, if you would be so kind as to _not _attract us any more unwanted attention?" Despite Sebastian's smile and kindly tone, the imminent threat behind his words was almost palpable. Grell, for his own safety, fortunately _knew_ when it was best stop.

"So, you've decided to forceful ruin my day here demon?" William spoke with obvious disdain leaking from his voice.

"Oh never would I dream of doing such a thing, _William T. Spears_. I was merely intrigued by your topic of conversation. I must say, when one speaks so loudly, one mustn't be surprised when curious eavesdroppers come to call."

"Humph. I'm afraid, _demon_ that this conversation is off limits to being such as you. _Especially_ considering it's _you_."

"And what does the fact of it being myself have to with anything?"

"Oh it has to do with _everything_ I'm afraid. Disclosing this information to you would be as if I disclosed future events to a mere human. A grave crime I'm sure you know the consequences of."

Sebastian was a bit taken aback at this. Indeed he _did_ know how grave a crime it was to reveal the future to a human. It was even one of the few restrictions demons had when fulfilling their master's wishes as it considerably meddled with the happenings of the future that even demons didn't particularly enjoy delving into. But how was revealing something like this to him so very _serious_?

"Aw Will! Don't go making him curious now! He'll just want to go _find_ that b-"

"You will be _silent_ Sutcliffe! Not another _word_ from you, do you hear me?"

William hardly ever got angry enough to impose himself so forcefully upon Grell and his antics. It was a given that the redhead would accordingly shut his mouth when he _did_. Although this all made Sebastian even _more_ curious if such a thing was even possible. He didn't have any desire to meet with any_one_ or any_thing_ for that matter. But these two had managed to state the apparent contrary. How bizarre indeed. On the verge of questioning William further as to the topic that seemed to concern him, he was halted mid-breath when he felt his right hand burn slightly, indicating he was receiving an order from his contractor. Miss Arisu's words rang clear in his mind,

"_Get here right now you good-for-nothing demon! I order it! This is a matter of the greatest importance!"_

Oh well. It seemed his fun was over for the time being. He abruptly left his seat as he began to walk away, only taking the time to turn and around and give his good-byes,

"Duty calls it seems. I'll see you both... around I suppose."

"Wait, Sebas-chan! We haven't even...!"

But Sebastian was already leaving, ignoring him completely as he trod of silently back to his mistress's apartment.

He would keep this conversation at the back of his mind for now. It most certainly merited to be delved into deeper at a later time. Especially since it seemed to concern him rather _directly_...

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

"Ah, you must be Kurosu-san! It's a pleasure to meet you young man!"

"The pleasure is all mine as well sir."

"Ah, so polite. At your age it's become such a rare thing. I am your current homeroom teacher, Kenji Sousuke. I will also be giving your mathematics course."

"Pleased to hear it Sousuke-sensei."

"Indeed, indeed. Now then, won't you wait a moment so I can properly prepare the class for your arrival?"

"Yes sensei."

"Perfect!"

And with that, the middle-aged man disappeared behind the sliding door he promptly slid shut behind him, as the bustling room behind it seemed to calm down at his arrival. Ciel was making a real effort to remain calm and polite as his parents had always instructed him to behave before his elders. And Ciel _always_ regarded his parents' wishes as something worth respecting. It was just the combination of having to get up even earlier in the morning than he had back in England, and having to get used to even attending school. It had already been two months since he'd last set foot in one, and now that he was being introduced to his second year class at the start of school after the one week summer vacation they had in Japan (something Ciel still had yet to understand, considering he was now to start school in _April_ instead of September), it was a rather torturous affair. Ciel really wasn't what one would call a morning person after all, and add to that those increasingly disturbing dreams of Phantomhive's memories, he wasn't exactly the epitome of 'fully rested'.

Though on the dream part Ciel could compromise; he was getting more and more snippets, vague as they were, of the Earl of Phantomhive's memories, mostly completely insignificant, though each of them gave him more of a clue as to whom he had been. It led Ciel to wonder _how many_ memories it would take for Ciel Phantomhive to completely take over and effectively erase Ciel Cross from existence. As disturbing as the thoughts were, Ciel's curiosity more often than not got the better of him, thus explaining his striving to find clues to this mysterious past. Clues he had yet to find in this great noisy mess that was Tokyo. Shibuya in _particular_ seemed to be impossible to navigate. Only just two weeks prior had he managed to find a suitable-looking café not too far off from the Scramble Crossing called the Sunshine. It was one of the calmer places he managed to get his hands on, and it made his days brighter just by visiting the place. Perhaps he would go there after his classes were over and done with for the day.

"Transfer student, could you please come in?"

But that would have to wait until this little bit of torture was over. Though he knew his parents only sought to give him the best education, he still despised the idea of attending this nationally ranked private school, Seijuu Academy, where the classes were small due to the school's elite ranking and high expectations. It was just like Ciel to have all the needed marks to enter. He slid open the door and elegantly walked in front of the room, facing the ridiculously small amount of students in class 2-A. Ten to be exact, as Sousuke-sensei nodded to him, waiting for him to introduce himself as was appropriate.

"Hello everyone, my name is Ciel Kurosu. I hope we'll get along!" he said with the best smile he could muster under these circumstances. As was expected, the four girls out of the ten students looked at him with doe eyes and admiration, wanting to hit on him the second they got the chance. As if he would ever _give_ them the chance. The rest of them, the boys, gave him dubitative looks, some more inclined to inappreciative glances than others, but all together, they seemed kind enough.

"Right then Kurosu-san, why don't you take a seat... behind Izanagi-san over there?"

Ciel looked at the said Izanagi and found it to be a boy with slightly tanned skin that sat on the far right side of the room, against the window. Meaning Ciel would end up sitting in the back row, but he didn't exactly mind. Izanagi waved cheerfully at him, showing him where to go. Ciel could have scoffed. As if he could get _lost _with only two or three meters separating them. He walked past all the other desks and past Izanagi, taking his seat as he put his bag down on the desk. Izanagi then turned around and produced a hand for him to shake. He whispered,

"From where you come from, I think this is how they say hello?"

Ciel nodded instead of answering. He instead opted to shake to hand that was offered to him. It wasn't as if Izanagi was annoying or anything. Yet.

"Right then _little_ Ciel, pleased to meet you!"

"_What_ did you just call me?" Ciel hissed in a whisper.

"Well, little Ciel! 'Cause you're smaller than me, so I can call you little!" he whispered back excitedly.

Ciel _really_ didn't want to start any kind of animosity. Really. But Izanagi and his comment were starting to get on his nerves unlike anything he'd ever felt before. Izanagi, however, completely oblivious to Ciel's thoughts, continued on,

"Right then, I'm Sohma Izanagi! I hope we'll be good friends!"

"_Izanagi_! Turn around and pay attention!"

"Yes sensei..." he said, pouting as he turned around to face the front of the class, entirely clueless as to what he'd done to Ciel.

Because all poor Ciel could do was stare wide-eyed at Izanagi's back, not really seeing what he was supposedly looking at, as his mind sped up like it hadn't had the opportunity to do before, images and sounds rendering him both blind and deaf to the world. Not even in the Phantomhive manor had he felt like _this_...

"_Well then, it seems for once it was our compatriots who were at fault."_

"_Have you seen this Indian woman anywhere?"_

"_In India, it's a normal thing for the benefactor to be invited into the home of the one he saved."_

"_We've designed you a new toy! A toy in the form of our god Ganesh! And believe it or not it's trump... MOVES!"_

"_Aghni is my khansama, he belongs to me! In other words, I won!"_

"_This is the twenty-seventh son of the current ruler of the princely state of Bengali, Prince Sohma Asman Kadaar."_

'Prince... Sohma...?' Ciel thought sluggishly.

Yes, now he remembered. That damn annoying Indian prince that always followed him everywhere when he made his routine trips to his London town house. What on _earth_ had even _possessed_ him to entrust the care of his town house to _those_ two? And just _why_ hadn't Sebastian tried to dissuade him from making such a brash decision? The next time he went, he'd make sure to give the Indian prince a piece of his mind that was for sur...

Those were _**not**_ his thoughts! He hadn't even _known_ all those things! Ciel felt a small wave of panic mount within him as he realized that for a second, for the _barest_ of seconds, he had effectively ceased to exist as Ciel Cross. For a split second in time, he _had_ been Ciel Phantomhive, nothing more or less. How frightful and exciting the very concept was. Ciel felt pure adrenaline pump through his blood like liquid fire, unadulterated excitement that left him shaking from head to toe from the encounter. He was one step closer to his goal, despite the fact that he had found the supposed reincarnation of someone he'd known back in nineteenth century London.

A voice broke through his trance, tentatively calling out to him,

"Kurosu-san? Are you quite well?"

He looked up, still shaking slightly, to see Sousuke-sensei looking at him with a concerned expression. Ciel mentally chided himself. He detested showing his weaknesses to anyone but himself (and occasionally his parents) and here he was, displaying himself shamefully in a said moment of weakness in front of people he barely even knew. Such behavior was unfit of the heir to the Phantomhive househo-

_Oh_ he _had _to stop doing that. At least here in class he did. Anymore odd behavior and he'd be good to go and hang himself on the nearest pole. Not that he _would_ but that was beside the point. He decided the best thing to do was most likely to answer as if nothing had happened, if only to try and preserve some amount of dignity,

"A-ah yes. I'm fine sensei." He mentally cursed at his stuttering. "I was just... remembering something is all."

Though Sousuke-sensei still seemed doubtful, he let apparently decided to let it slide for now.

"Yes, well it would do better if you _didn't_ choose your classes as the moment to _remember_ things Kurosu-san. Now if you please, could you perhaps start reading from line ninety-five?"

Ciel nodded as he rose from his seat, turning the book in question to the desired page and began reading, all the while thinking about how he decidedly needed to keep himself in check.

Later, once lunch break had been announced, Izanagi (he _refused_ to call him 'Sohma' lest it bring about another bout of flashbacks) had gone to find him and invite him to eat lunch with he and his friends. Ciel had accepted, seeing as he knew no one else, and that Izanagi had taken somewhat of a liking to him it seemed. Though he tried to keep it at bay, he knew the Phantomhive in him was rather ticked off at the possibility of spending time with the boy (_was_ he Indian this time around?). As they walked towards the designated place, Izanagi spoke,

"Well, you definitely spaced out back there in homeroom little Ciel."

"Just call me 'Ciel', not _little_."

"O-ok Ciel-kun. Like I was saying, you spaced out. What _really_ happened?"

Sigh.

"Nothing really. I just remembered something unpleasant and it made me space out."

"Oh. So you're OK then?"

"Sure, I'm perfectly fine Izanagi-kun."

"Well that's good then! So tell me, how're you adapting to Japan? Must be hard being shipped over from some place as far off as England!"

"You're one to talk. Coming from India must be even harder."

Izanagi looked at Ciel with a half puzzled, half surprised look.

Oh crap. He had _not_ just said that out loud. _Now_ what was he going to do? Apparently, Phantomhive had decided he was going to make him say anything and everything that would grant him a one-way ticket to a psycho ward. Damn past lives...

"Ah Ciel-kun, how did you know? Did the teacher tell you?"

Huh? He really _did_ come from India? Well at least Izanagi was giving him the easy way out...

"Uh, yeah that's right, the teacher told me..."

"OK then. But it wasn't that hard. It's only my grandmother on my mother's side that's Indian, so I only spent my childhood there really. Otherwise I've always lived in Japan. But Ciel-kun, your father's English, right?"

Ciel nodded, "Yes, my father's English, but my mother is originally Japanese, hence why I can speak it."

"And what does your father do for a living?"

Wasn't that a bit of a personal question to ask someone you'd barely even met? The more time went by, the more Ciel felt as if he was the reluctant participant of a game of twenty questions. Nonetheless, he needed to answer Izanagi, lest he accidentally throw him off and make him start to give Ciel the 'cold shoulder', something he didn't want to deal with in the least.

"He and my mother work together in financial networks and placements. They wanted to try and export their knowledge over to Japan."

Ciel added the last part for good measure, effectively keeping Izanagi from asking any more questions. Unfortunately for Ciel, the respite was short-lived.

"Really now? My father works for a bank, and my mother decided to take over her own father's curry industry, which explains why we used to live in India. But if your parents work in that business, then you must have heard about Arisu Hanagizawa?"

Arisu Hanagizawa? Somehow the name felt familiar, and yet Ciel couldn't quite pinpoint where he'd heard it. As if he'd heard something similar. Arisu sounded an awful lot like an English name though...

"By 'Arisu', you mean 'Alice', right?" Izanagi nodded.

"Everyone calls her 'Arisu', but her real name is in fact Alice. Apparently, she doesn't really like being associated with English stuff, no offense Ciel-kun!"

"It's fine. Continue." Why did he feel like some snobbish lord when he said that? Maybe because he _was_ one...

"Well, Hanagizawa works in financial placements on international standards. My father's met her a few times since he's pretty high up in the bank, and she needs all the money she can get. I think that's how it goes at least."

Oh. _Now_ Ciel remembered where he'd heard of the woman. His parents had mentioned her a few times as a trump card, someone they weren't sure whether to associate with or go against. But he didn't really see where Izanagi was going with this. What did he care about some rich woman who happened to work in the same domain as his parents? It wasn't as if she had anything of potential interest to Ciel, so he didn't really think he'd be seeing her anytime in the near future. Once more, his musing was interrupted by a feminine voice calling off into the distance.

"Sohma-kun! Transfer student-kun! Wait for me!"

Ciel turned around to see what was considered to be a cute young lady with elegantly curled golden hair and deep green eyes waving and calling out to them.

"Ah, Lizzie-chan! Over here!" Izanagi called back, smiling and waving in turn. He then started, and turned to Ciel with a smile plastered onto his face,

"You'll like Lizzie-chan, Ciel-kun! She's the same as you, her mother's English and her father's Japanese! You can relate to each other!"

Once the girl (Lizzie) had caught up to them and playfully chided Izanagi at leaving behind to wait, she turned to Ciel, all smiles, and extended her hand, introducing herself in English to him,

"**Hello Ciel Cross! My name is Elizabeth Murasaki, but you can call me Lizzie! I come from London too you know. Pleased to meet you!"**

Ciel's heart skipped a beat as the now familiar feeling of dawning realization and déjà-vu overcame him for the second time that day, a wave of memories he knew weren't his own assaulting his senses, blocking out all other information coming from around him.

To Ciel's dismay, it seemed as though he'd unbeknownst to him released the seal on his very own Pandora's box...

**End Chapter Two**

_A/N:_

_So, how was that one? Cookies to anyone who manages to catch all the references to other fandoms ('cause I can't help myself!)_

_Like I said, more of Sebby than of Ciel here, but I guess it was needed. I pretty much know where I'm going when it comes to Sebastian (and _yes_ the Grell abuse was planned too! XD) but I've got thousands of ideas when it comes to Ciel. I'm going to have to thank __**Chiruda Hyuga **__for inspiring the school scene between Ciel and Sohma (and Elizabeth, don't worry, she's got a role to play too! ^^) _

_I've dropped hints on both sides as to the existence of each other (Ciel and Sebastian I mean). When they meet, I think it's going to be something rather interesting to see, ne? Especially since Arisu (newly called 'Alice' by Ciel because he can XD) is showing her more sinister side. I take back what I said last time: she's too bad to be Doctor Kyle, imagine a female Light Yagami with a tad bit less brains (because you just _can't_ have Light's brains). _

_Which brings me to theme songs. Since I really like listening to music as I write, I decided I'd give everyone an idea of the characterization and feeling I'm trying to give each character in the story, so here's a list of songs that I think characterizes them rather well as far as this story goes. I recommend them, even if just for listening pleasure! You should be able to find them all on Youtube:_

_**Ciel - **__Mosaic Kakera (Sunset Swish) ; Calling (The World Ends With You OST) ; Déjà-Vu (Hideaki Matsuoka) ; Vision (Hideaki Matsuoka) ; PSI-Missing (Mami Kawada)_

_**Sebastian - **__Filth in the Beauty (The GazettE) ; Game Over (The World Ends With You OST) ; Idioteque (Radiohead)_

_**Grell - **__Orange (Lil/B') ; Detonation (The World Ends With You OST)_

_**Arisu "Alice" - **__What's Up People? (Maximum the Hormone) ; Zetsobou Billy (Maximum the Hormone)_

_**Sohma "Izanagi" - **__Kesenai Tsumi (Nana Kitada)_

_And for good measure, as an overall feel for the environment of the story, I'd say:_

_**Shibuya (The World Ends With You OST)**_

_Hoping to here from you by way of reviews, 'til next time! XD_


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I don't own 'Kuroshitsuji'. If I **_**did**_**, you can bet that Ciel and Alois would have met by now in Season 2 (and Ciel would have won too XD)... Unfortunately, Yana Toboso and her crew love torturing us by **_**stalling**_**... T.T**

_A/N:_

_Tadaa! I has returned! XD_

_I absolutely _loved_ writing this chapter, I can't even begin to explain how fun it was! As I promised, since last chapter was pretty much a big lump of Sebastian P.O.V, this time around I started off with a Ciel P.O.V... and did pretty much the whole of the chapter on him! Sebastian _does_ have some parts at the end though._

_I just _need_ to thank all of the people who are giving positive feed-back once again (and even those who just enjoy reading!), because it's extremely inspirational to get all these comments. But I think I need to give kudos to __**Kiriatana**__ for picking up exactly _what_ sort of vibe I was trying to give off as a backdrop to the story (besides, I don't think it's possible to look at Shibuya the same way again after playing TWEWY...)_

_Right then, onto the story (because we all know I'm annoying the hell out you the longer this author's note drags out... XD)_

**Chapter Three: Call of the Abyss**

_He was floating, though on what exactly he couldn't determine. His eyes closed, he'd allowed himself to drift away on an invisible sea, cool and comforting, dark and foreboding all at once. He breathed in the slightly salty air that reminded him of the ocean side, his heart at ease for the first time in what he perceived to have been an eternity. He felt so calm, so peaceful that he was sure he'd even forgotten his own name..._

_What _was_ his name? 'Ciel' came to mind almost immediately amidst his blurry and unrefined thoughts. However, he couldn't quite put his finger on a last name, almost as if he didn't _have_ one. It took Ciel another undetermined amount of time to realize that it wasn't one, but _two_ names that bubbled to the surface of his mind, and it took him even longer to understand the sudden odd feeling he was experiencing, almost as if he were being split into two, albeit in the gentlest way possible._

_There was a barrier that seemed to split things regarding the two names, something Ciel found highly peculiar indeed, considering he could not see. It was upon that thought that finally, the young soon-to-be man opened his cerulean eyes, blinking at the soft white light the emanated from all around, his eyes disused to vision. Ciel pushed himself up as best he could, mildly surprised to find that whatever he was floating on permitted him such an action._

_Inspecting his surroundings blearily, as if awakening from a long, undisturbed sleep, Ciel's eyes widened at the sight displayed before him. It was something akin to floating on endless clouds, floating in some sort of oblivion that had no name in a place that seemingly had neither beginning nor end. But perhaps the most surprising of all was what floated _around_ him, snaking its way elegantly, like a fish would in the open waters of the sea. Separated by a translucent wall that Ciel supposed was made of the finest glass, streams upon streams of what looked like old film projector slips flew by, snippets of images graved upon them, events that belonged to two separate existences as he saw it._

_On his left, he saw genuine happiness, memories of birthdays past and cherished moments engraved within his very soul. He caught sight of his parents, the Cross family, merrily taking him on a stroll through his favorite park at the tender age of seven years. His friends, talking and joking alongside him, their weekly outings to the neighborhood pizza restaurant before his move slid past Ciel as he gazed upon the passing streams. He even caught sight of his, he supposed, recent meeting with Sohma Izanagi and that girl he could only remember as 'Lizzie-chan' seeing as Izanagi had called her so many times by that name. Ciel knew he witnessing an all-together happy life, filled with joy and promise, not a dark blotch to be seen on the immaculate pure white sheet that composed his life as Ciel Cross._

_And then, he turned to his right to gaze upon the second swarm of films that passed by before him, on the other side of his very own looking glass, catching sight of the images that flew by there, blurred and incomprehensible. And in that instant, all the things he'd witnessed just before on his left seemed to disappear, erasing themselves from his mind as quickly as he'd interpreted them in the first place. Cerulean eyes half-lidded, dazed and empty stared at the glass wall that separated him from the ominous right side that had yet to be discovered. Gingerly, almost hypnotically, Ciel placed his right hand on the fine glass, barely even registering the small bit of surprise he felt at seeing that the once quite solid wall had suddenly become something akin to liquid crystal, his hand passing through, daring him to trespass the barrier onto the other side._

_Ciel hadn't the energy necessary to question which option was the best to take, as he felt the most tantalizing and dangerous allurement pull him steadily through the glass until he no longer found himself on the left side of things, but rather on their right. Having passed through, he placed his hand back on the glass he'd just come through, this time alert enough to be fully surprised by the fact that the glass wall felt cool, and very much _solid_ beneath his gentle touch. He gazed upon the passing images that he could now distinctly see, unlike the ones from the left side he'd just left behind that, in turn, were now unreadable and blurred to his vision. All at once, as he had back from where he'd just come from, the memories floated to the surface of his mind, and like ripples on water, immersed Ciel in the moments of his life that had gone by._

_Fire. Pain. Indescribable pain as he saw the bodies of his beloved parents lying dead and butchered on the parlor floor, his poor dog having paid with his life in an attempt to protect them from imminent death. Humiliation. Anger at his captors who each passing day, as he lay in his iron cage, mocked him and degraded his already destroyed pride and spirit. Hope. Cold determination when he forged the contract with the ominous demon he baptized with his loyal dog's name, Sebastian._

_The eccentric frenzies his fiancée, Elizabeth Middleford, engaged him in against his own will, decorating his precious manor with artifices of questionable taste. And despite the fact that he did not love her in the way she wished him to, she remained a dear, dear person to his heart, of that he was sure._

_And then came Aunt An, or as they all called her, Madame Red, ending covered in the dark crimson that she constantly wore, killed by the shinigami with the disturbing persona. Not to mention he was always flirting with _his_ butler for a reason he just _couldn't_ fathom without causing himself premature brain implosion..._

_But there had been a sense of duty, a sense of pride that outstood all the rest, his dignity as the faithful Queen's watchdog, the nobility of his name and rank, that made him proud and accepting of his heritage. It was he who had to maintain the family now, and it was he who was the current leader and sole survivor of the house of Phantomhive. He was the noble Earl Ciel Phantomhive, and nothing, not even death would ever change that. _

_It was a fact. And yet..._

_He _had_ died... Ciel knew he should remember in what manner he had, but despite his best efforts, he couldn't recall it. He cynically supposed it must have had _something_ remotely to do with Sebastian. He had, after all, sold his soul to the devil; such a thing was to be expected._

_... But then, why wasn't he lying in the depths of hell, rotting away into oblivion of pain? Ciel had yet to understand all the finer points of these events. And then, there was that _other_ life of his. The one that lay in a blur at the very back of his mind, unable to recall events with a sufficient amount of clarity as he knew had been the case for this life when he'd still been on the other side of the glass wall he had yet to determine the origin of. He huffed childishly. He was Ciel Phantomhive, and he would undoubtedly get to the bottom of his predicament if it was the sole last thing he did._

_Of course, as Ciel had seen as he'd brought his memories back into his mind's eye, lady luck had never truly been on the young Phantomhive's side, and she seemed to take great pleasure in mocking him in the most ironic of ways possible._

_Accordingly, just as he was about to make a dive into the elegantly floating streams of images before him, Ciel felt something pull him _back_ through the glass barrier, pulling him towards his reincarnation's existence, pulling him _away_ from everything he needed to know. And yet despite his reluctance, strangely, deep within himself he felt a sense of utter relief, as one feels when they've at last come across something familiar after a long venture into unexplored territories. As Ciel passed through the glass, he felt his memories of his life as a Phantomhive blur into the distance, while his memories as a Cross began to come back with a full clarity. But he didn't want to let go of what he'd managed to salvage from the life he'd so desperately wanted to regain. Ciel didn't want to forget the Phantomhive's life once again. In a final act of desperation and panic, the young man grabbed a handful of the few streams of images that passed relatively close to his left hand, grasping them tightly as he pulled them through with him to the other side._

_Once he'd regained the other side, Ciel Cross felt the happy memories of his life in twenty-first century London, and some even in Shibuya, come back to full force, like a bucket full of fresh air after a dive underwater. But looking into his hand, he found the foreign streams of images he'd managed to bring back with him, the few images he'd now be able to integrate into his present memory that belonged to the Phantomhive._

_Amongst them, he found was a rather interesting panoply of memories concerning one Elizabeth Middleford (apparently, she was yet _another_ reincarnation of a past acquaintance), some concerning Prince Sohma and his own butler, Aghni, and another whole load of them on the subject of the butler Sebastian, and the extremely bizarre shinigami (at least that's what he _thought_ it was called...) that went by the name of Grell Sutcliffe (but Ciel thought it was _far_ more appropriate to officially baptize him 'URO', as in 'Unidentified Red Object'...)_

_And once again, Ciel felt an unfamiliar pull in his stomach, this time pulling him upwards, and away from the constant flow of memories that from as far as he could see, composed a river of a most singular beauty. As his eyes began to close once more, his breathing relaxing almost to the point of sleep, he heard a woman's voice speak to him in a breathy Japanese, whispering in the echo she created by her words,_

"_**Choose..."**_

_But why? Why should he choose? Didn't he want both?_

"_**Choose..."**_

_What if he didn't want to? He wanted his own memories, but he wanted the Phantomhive's just as much. No, he couldn't possibly choose..._

"_**Choose. You cannot gain one without forsaking the other. And what is once lost can never be returned. Now choose..."**_

_He didn't care; he wanted both, no matter who said otherwise. He would gain both equally; even he had to cease being Ciel Cross all together. So long as he could keep both memories, everything would be all right..._

"_**So be it... You refuse to choose... Even if you gain both, you will inevitably lose at least one identity, be it your desired one or not... Do not fret Ciel, you **_**will**_** choose when the time comes... That is a certainty, as true as your heart's deepest desire..."**_

_Who _was_ that? _

"_**Hmm... Who do you wish for me to be Ciel? It's up to you to **_**choose**_**..."**_

_And as Ciel's awareness of the place disappeared, fading into a world of black, he heard the voice, barely beyond a whisper, echo once more, a promise of trials to come,_

"_**Choose..."**_

**VVVVVVVV**

"Ciel-kun! Are you all right?"

"Of _course_ not you idiot! Do you _really_ think he'd be like this if he was _all right_? Use your head sometimes Izanagi, honestly!"

"Alois-san, don't say that! Sohma-kun is just worried about Ciel-kun!"

"Yes, well is it _my_ fault that guy fainted _just_ when I got here? I don't think so! So long as he's not dying, I _really_ don't see what's the use of getting your panties in a knot like this"

"Alois-san! How could you even _say_ something like that?"

"Oh please Murasaki, give me a break."

"Alois-san! It's _Lizzie_! Not Murasaki!"

"Ciel-kun! Wake up!"

As Ciel was brought back to awareness, his ears were met with what he could only call the most disturbing and random cacophony he'd ever encountered, he was sure, in _both_ of his existences. Slowly opening his eyes, blinking at the bright light of what he suspected was the early afternoon sun, the very first thing Ciel's gaze met was...

_Hair_? What in the world-

"CIEL-KUN! YOU'RE ALIVE!"

And thus, Ciel's air supply was cut off by the energetic hug (which he could qualify as a 'glomp of death'), which he suspected was being given by none other than Sohma Izanagi himself.

"Ciel-kun! Thank goodness you're all right, you had us so worried!" Ciel next looked into the teary eyes of Elizabeth Murasaki, air coming back into his lungs as he realized that the girl had pulled the offending lump of flesh (otherwise known as Izanagi) off of him to give him some space. Silently thanking the girl's common sense, he accepted the hand that she had offered him to get himself back on his feet somewhat clumsily.

"What happened...?" he asked softly.

Lizzie sighed, smiling in relief as she answered him,

"I'm not quite sure. I introduced myself to you and then you... went all funny"

"Funny how?"

"Well... your eyes went sort of hazy and for a second I thought you were going to be sick. And then _boom_! You just collapsed on the ground. You haven't moved an inch since!"

She abruptly cut off by what Ciel just _knew_ had to be a hyper-active version of Izanagi who jumped in front of him.

"Yeah Ciel-kun! You just dropped like a sack of potatoes! Like a lump!"

Ciel's eyebrows twitched in irritation. Izanagi had better _not _compare him to food again in the near future... or ever for that matter.

"How long was I out for?"

It was then that the third voice that Ciel had heard earlier spoke, though Ciel hadn't the slightest clue of whom it belonged to.

"How long? Oh, I'd say something like five minutes, gave or take a few. Nothing to get excited about really."

Turning towards the source of voice, Ciel lay eyes on a boy that he was quite certain was his own age. Upon further reminiscing, he recalled seeing the boy's face that morning when he'd stood in front of class 2-A, introducing himself like Sousuke-sensei had made him. He was a tad bit taller than Ciel (much to his chagrin) and looked upon him with half-mocking, half-alluring eyes, a lighter shade of blue than his own. In fact, with the boy's wheat-colored hair framing his face, he could've passed off as an angelic and exemplary young man, had he not had such a look of evident arrogance and superiority written across his face. Ciel barely contained a smirk. As much as he didn't especially mind associating with Izanagi and Murasaki (who he had an inkling was going to force him to call her 'Lizzie-chan'), he had a feeling that he wouldn't exactly mind associating with someone who had a mind that seemingly functioned in a similar way to his own. After all, intelligence wasn't exactly something one came by everyday. He replied in kind,

"Really now? How interesting... Though I wholeheartedly agree that it wasn't something to get this excited over."

"But Ciel-kun...!" Izanagi and Lizzie intervened at the same time.

"I'm _fine_. Nothing to worry about. We can go eat lunch in peace."

"If you're really sure..." Lizzie asked.

"I'm sure, don't worry. Let's go."

And so they set off, and sat down on the grass a little ways away from where they'd been previously, away from prying eyes, Ciel was happy to notice. Smirking a bit, he turned to the up-until-now identity-less boy,

"So. Do you have a name, or do I have to guess?"

He scoffed.

"As much as that would be fun, I don't really want to start something like that now. I am Alois Aoki, and _no _I have no idea why my idiotic _Japanese_ parents decided to give me such a funky name. _You_ are Ciel Kurosu, so no need to introduce yourself _again_."

"I wouldn't _dream_ of it..."

"Um... you two... It's nice that you're getting to know each other and all, but can you _not_ go and have creepy solo conversation when we're around?"

Turning towards Izanagi, who'd spoken, Ciel sighed and turned back to Alois, who eventually also nodded in agreement. No need to get riled up here.

Lunch continued uneventfully. They all asked Ciel questions regarding his life in London, Lizzie in particular, who was somewhat saddened to discover that they hadn't lived in the same parts of London at all. Alois was just curious to know what life was like there; as he put it, he'd never left Japan. It was around that time that Ciel began to question the likelihood of a friendship between such different people (well, perhaps not Lizzie and Izanagi). Alois didn't seem the type really. Which explained why Ciel asked them how they'd gotten to know each other.

"How? Well, I guess it started when Alois-san moved in next door to me..." recalled Lizzie.

"Yeah, I moved in when I was five, and she's been on my case ever since. Apparently, I was the only other kid around." Added Alois rather peeved in appearance.

"No! I just liked playing with you, that's all."

"Yeah, that too. And _then_ you started going out with Izanagi two or so years back..."

"Hey Alois-kun, we're _still_ going out you know." Retorted Izanagi, his arms crossed across his chest childishly.

Ignoring him, Alois continued,

"That's goes without counting in your brother Izanagi, but he's in his last year of Junior High."

"Yup, but Aghni is going to be joining us next year! He'll be the cutest little freshman that's ever walked these halls!" Izanagi declared passionately. Ciel could've _sworn_ he saw stars dancing in his eyes.

"You and your brother complex Izanagi. It's a wonder Aghni even _tolerates_ being around you at all..."

"Hey! I'm not that obsessed! Like it was my fault my brother was so awesome..." 

"See? You're doing it again."

"I _am_ no-"

"But isn't Aghni supposed to be your servant or something?"

And in a split second, everyone was rendered to complete silence. Ciel fought as best he could against his rising smirk. _Oh_ remembering all these little things certainly _did_ have their uses...

"Ha ha! That's really funny Ciel-kun! But don't joke about that kind of stuff!" Izanagi laughed in earnest, effectively toppling onto Lizzie who grumbled a bit while she pulled him off of her by the ears, rendering him a howling mess pleading to his kind-turned-tyrannical girlfriend. Women truly _were_ frightening things when pushed to their... extremes...

"... Could you please _not_ do that? It's kind of disturbing..." Ciel looked at them with a look somewhere in between disgust and curiosity (though he was sure to deny the latter).

"Aw, is Ciel-kun not used to public displays of affection?" teased Izanagi, playfully chiding him.

"So cute! Ciel-kun is still so innocent and cute! It makes me want to _hug_ him!"

"Lizzie-chan, you can't go hugging other people like that! You're my girlfriend!"

"But Sohma-kun, Ciel-kun is cute!"

"I know he is, but still Lizzie-chan..."

Ciel didn't know what was more annoying; their silly argument, or the fact that they seemed to _both_ agree with the fact that he was _cute_...

"Really now Kurosu? You don't like anything to do with the personal?" stated Alois, his voice suddenly speaking in a hushed, enticing tone. Ciel raised an eyebrow questioningly.

'Just what is he playing at?' he thought, a bit wary of what the blond had in mind. Needless to say, he got his answer rather promptly.

Ciel looked to his right the moment he felt a puff of hot air on his neck, whipping his head to stare wide-eyed at Alois, who was breathing into the skin of his neck, his clear blue eyes half-lidded and slightly hazy. Taking advantage of the fact that Ciel was rendered unable to move by the decidedly odd display, Alois raised his head so as to make sure his lips were only inches away from Ciel's. He breathed in deeply, closing his eyes in an expression akin to bliss. Inching even closer to Ciel as was possible without their lips touching, he whispered huskily,

"Mmm... you smell _nice_..."

And without another word, he swooped in and claimed the motionless boy's lips in a soft kiss, effectively putting a stop to the bantering going on between Lizzie and Izanagi, they too rendered to speechlessness at such an action. Meanwhile, Ciel continued to lie passively as Alois kissed him, his eyes was wide as was considered possible. Had he been conscious enough to produce a coherent thought, Ciel would have probably already declared himself a case of instantaneous brain implosion by now. However, the only thing he could even bare to process at this point was most likely characterized by this:

What. The. _HELL_!

**VVVVVVVV**

Later that afternoon, they four of them had decided to go and have a drink at a café of Ciel's choice, as he was the new friend that had integrated their group. Though he didn't especially think of them as 'best friends' as he hardly knew them, Ciel had to admit he felt a comforting feeling whenever he was around them (he highly suspected it had to do with what he'd managed to salvage from Phantomhive's memories), and agreed to the get-together. At least that was what it was with Lizzie and Izanagi. Alois he was willing to call a 'friend' just as much as the others, as he was an intriguing character that interested Ciel when it came to discussion making. However, he had yet to forgive the blond for his stunning display of... he didn't even _know_ what it was that he'd demonstrated that afternoon. Naturally, after Ciel had yelled his head off for the next ten or so minutes afterwards, Alois ended up apologizing, albeit while laughing, apparently pleased by the shocked faces they'd all given him.

According to Izanagi and Lizzie, such a thing wasn't an all-together odd occurrence when it came to Alois. He apparently enjoyed testing the people he considered getting close to in such a manner (and Ciel also suspected it had something to do with some perverted pleasure he indulged himself in as well), and it seemed as if Izanagi had gotten a 'taste' of it when he'd started to go out with Lizzie. Needless to say, Ciel had made a still laughing Alois swear on his own life that he wouldn't even _try_ doing it to him again. Ciel was quite certain he'd be able to stop being ticked off at him by the end of the week if Alois was lucky, and if Ciel was a particularly happy mood.

Sitting down around a small table on the far side of the Sunshine café's terrace (the Sunshine being Ciel's all new pleasant discovery in Shibuya), they began to talk about Seijuu Academy, it's classes and teachers, telling Ciel stories of their little adventures in the halls of the vast school. That in itself was something that surprised Ciel; despite the school having such a small effective of students, the building was immensely vast and spacious, and according to Lizzie, Izanagi, and Alois, had entire wings that had been unused for decades. The perfect thing for a small exploration they liked to indulge themselves in.

"Wouldn't you like to accompany us on our next expedition Ciel?" Alois asked as he fiddled with the straw in his lemonade. Much to Ciel's dismay, Alois calling him 'Kurosu' had also been a part of the 'prior to friendship' package. Now that he'd had his fun, he was 'Ciel'. Not even a –kun to accompany it either. Not that it bothered him so much since he'd essentially grown up in England...

"I'll think about it Alois-kun." He replied as he turned to Izanagi who was trying to get his attention. It was a given now that Ciel had to call Alois by his name in turn (something Izanagi hadn't been happy about, but Ciel was still rather adamant about not calling him 'Sohma').

It was about then that the third odd occurrence of the day decided to show its face.

"Sirs, you've been sitting at this table since _this morning_..."

"So? We were _talking_ about important affairs. Important affairs that _don't_ concern _you_ at all."

"But-"

"Miss, we've been paying for our drinks all day, correct?"

"Yes, but-"

"Then I don't see where the problem is."

"_Ye~ah_! You tell her Will!"

Ciel turned towards the commotion coming from the other side of the Sunshine, laying eyes on one of waitresses, who seemed to no longer know what to say, and a pair of men, one dressed like a typical Japanese salary man, and the other wearing ridiculously tight red jeans and a white button-down. Though slightly atypical as they were, they wouldn't have grabbed Ciel's attention, had he not heard the decidedly feminine cry of 'Will!' and the flamboyant red hair that fell to the man's waist. He even wore red _glasses_...

It hit Ciel like a ton of bricks. A particularly _heavy_ ton of bricks.

_Grell Sutcliffe_. _William T. Spears_._ Shinigami_.

_**Ciel Phantomhive**_.

His heart skipped a beat, he was sure, and his breath caught in his throat. Could it be the same people? They were supposed to be immortal, so it could be possible. But then what were they doing in Japan? _How_...?

He abruptly rose from his seat, bidding his good-byes to his newly found friends, who shot him questioning looks.

"People you know?" asked Alois.

"Yes, and I'd appreciate of you didn't follow. It's... private family business..."

The three nodded and bade him good-bye, calling to him that they would look forward to seeing him at school tomorrow.

As the waitress left the two men, Ciel slowly approached their table, hesitant and slightly frightened. What could he say? What if he was mistaken? He would look like some fool who imagined silly stories, and god forbid his parents found out about it. As he stood directly behind the redhead, the other man raised his gaze to look at Ciel. His eyebrows twitched.

"Well, well, what have we here? If it isn't the devil's food himself..."

The redhead whipped around and stared wide-eyed at Ciel.

"_You_! You're the Phantomhive brat! _Not again_! You're not going to go and steal _my_ Sebas-chan agai-"

He was cut off by a whack on the head by the other man.

"Sutcliffe, you _will_ be silent, I can guarantee you that."

So it was _true_...

"Besides, I doubt he even knows who Phantomhive is. He's a reincarnation so you're just bound to confuse the boy with your nonsense. Speaking of which, I am William T. Spears. And you are...?" he asked turning to Ciel.

And as Grell huffed in annoyance, Ciel spoke softly,

"I am Ciel Cross. But you're wrong. I _do_ remember being Ciel Phantomhive... he's Grell Sutcliffe, and he killed my Aunt An..."

William stared at him with eyes a fraction wider than usual, while Grell's mouth opened in stupefaction.

"Well that _certainly_ makes things more interesting... and infinitely more complicated..."

**VVVVVVVV**

All day Sebastian had stayed indoors with Miss Arisu, as she detailed every single bit of information she had on her subject. And which subject indeed was it? Sebastian smiled wryly as he pondered it. Of course, it could be nothing more or less the sole thing his mistress desired, being the complete control of everything and anything to do with money. That was why she'd murdered all of those diligent people that had loved her so that fateful day.

Well, no matter. Sebastian _was_ in a contract with the woman after all, and it was his job to do as she ordered until the day he could devour her soul. What happened in between was only a question of aesthetics, nothing more.

Apparently, Miss Arisu had come across her first noteworthy opponents since Sebastian had contracted with her; a foreign family that only had one son to care for who specialized in exactly the field Miss Arisu was trying to control. The couple had seemingly sent his mistress an invitation to their headquarters, hoping to strike a deal with her so as to assure an association between the two businesses. Sebastian could only cynically muse at how foolish these people were. Not that they exactly speaking _could_ know just what Miss Arisu was capable of, and what she wanted, but nonetheless, they were foolish to try and associate with a woman who would inevitably destroy them and cause their downfall. It was a given if one was to seek anything from his mistress, unfortunately.

"_Sebastian_! Have you even been _listening_ to a _word_ I've been saying?"

Damn it all, the woman's screeching was going to be the premature end of him. And it was quite something coming from an immortal demon. _Oh_ yes he would take the _ultimate_ pleasure in killing her and devouring her soul, that was for _certain_...

"Of course, Mistress, I've been paying you the utmost attention since the start of your demonstration."

"Really now? And exactly _what_, pray tell, _have_ I been saying?"

Her defiant smirk was the single most satisfying expression he'd ever seen on the woman. Because he knew it was _he_ who was about to crush her seemingly inborn arrogance.

"Naturally Mistress. You've presented me with your current dilemma, which consists of your newest batch of business rivals who've only just recently entered the Japanese economic scene."

"Yes, and...?"

"And, for the sake of your wish to bring to the way of greatness, I've been asked to deal with the situation accordingly. Which I presume means I must... rid the world of their presence?"

Miss Arisu's mouth twitched before she bent forward, erupting into what was slowly becoming a fit of hysterical laughter. Sebastian passively watched the poor display of sanity demonstrated from his mistress before she continued, still clutching her head in her right hand,

"Oh _no_... That would be... _entirely_ too messy to get away with without _some sort_ of repercussions. No, I think we need to approach the matter in a more... _subtle_ way."

"Meaning, Mistress?"

"Meaning that it's best to get close to them to extract enough information to be able to exploit them accordingly."

"But if you did such a thing, people would immediately put two and two together and trace everything back up to you Mistress. The idea seems rather dangerous to me"

"Oh, but I never said _I_ would be doing anything. _You'll_ be doing all the work, my _dear_ Sebastian..."

"And yet they'd associate me with you, as I am _supposedly _your_ beloved_ husband."

"Wrong _again_, _mon chéri_. It's not _them_ you'll be approaching, but their _son_."

"Their brat? You believe if I get close enough, he'll willing deliver into my hands the very downfall of his parents and family?"

"Exactly."

"Indeed, an intriguing plot you've gotten worked up..."

And once again, Sebastian met face-to-face (quite literally) with the completely destroyed pillow, effectively garnishing his mouth with bits and pieces of cotton. Decidedly, this _was_ going to become an unnecessary habit...

"Do _not _mock me, you idiot! You just have to do as I say, and everything will go according to my plan!"

"Very well, very well. When does this... _operation_ of yours begin?"

"Tomorrow."

"So soon?"

"Yes, the sooner I get rid of them, the better. You'll be there waiting for him at Seijuu Academy, where he's been placed for education. At the end of the day, you'll invite to come to our headquarters to meet with me, and you'll posing as... my _personal_ manservant..."

"Doesn't such a thing defeat the point of getting you uninvolved?"

"Of course not! Because if they catch you, I'll only be able to play the poor and deceived woman who is... _pained_ to see such devastation..."

"Right..."

"You heard me. I _order_ you to do as I say to establish the perfect functioning of my plans!"

"Yes Mistress."

"Good. Tomorrow, the Cross boy begins his count down... _Ciel_ Cross to be more accurate..."

_What_? Did his hearing work properly? Had she said _Ciel_? Sebastian's eyes widened, and an involuntary shiver coursed through his body. It couldn't possibly be anything to do with _him_, could it? No, that was entirely silly. Although 'Ciel' wasn't exactly a common name...

"Where did you say the boy and his family came from?"

"I've already told you, they're stupid English people who want to take over my marketing area. And I don't know if the boy is even _really_ considered a _boy_ at this point. He's seventeen, so I maybe 'young man' is more appropriate? Best not try and start off on the wrong impressions. I want this done quickly _and_ efficiently after all..."

Goodness, that was _quite_ a frightening similarity. But Sebastian refused himself to believe it regardless. His Young Master was long dead and buried, most likely long decayed and rotten as well. And even _if_ it turned out to be one of _those_ humans who reincarnated into the future, his Young Master would never again return. _Never_ in all the time he had walked the human world had he encountered one who could recall lives past. That was a fact that Sebastian _knew_ was law as surely as he knew his own name was now 'Sebastian'.

No, he _would_ meet with this _Ciel_ Cross, regardless of his name, regardless of any previous incarnations he'd had. Tomorrow, he was a tool to use for the sake of gaining his contractor's soul as a meal. Nothing more, and nothing less.

Sebastian was, after all, a demon, and demons did _not _harbor sentiments for humans, regardless of how precious they were...

**End Chapter Three**

_A/N:_

_All right, just a few things to say here. Firstly... __**I've neglected Sebastian!**_

_Not that it was on purpose or anything, it just... happened. I really had a bunch of things to say about Ciel. Speaking of which..._

_I, again, can't even _begin_ to explain how much I was laughing when I wrote in the Alois kissing scene. As I see him right now, I imagine to have that arrogant streak (kind of like Ciel even though they're polar opposites), but a far more playful and just general mischievous part to his personality. And then there's the _apparent_ sexual tension he's pretty much throwing onto every person he meets (as in Sebastian... XD). I think he's smart enough to be doing just for sole entertainment purposes, so if you got scared for a second, this is _not_ going to be a Ciel x Alois fic (though I suspect some people _did_ get their hopes up... XD)!_

_I just really had to have Alois do something like that!_

_And finally, as you can see, Ciel and Sebby are meeting for the first time next chapter (which was pretty much unavoidable if you take into account that Ciel's met Grell and that Sebastian's been ordered to see him). Everyone should be pretty happy about that! So just for good measure, here's everyone's side of the story:_

_On one side, we've got __**Hanagizawa and the Immortals:**_

**Arisu Hanagizawa**

**Sebastian Michealis**

**Grell Sutcliffe**

**William T. Spears**

_And on the other, we've got __**Ciel & Co.:**_

**Ciel Cross/Kurosu/Phantomhive (that's a lot of names for one guy! XD)**

**Sohma Izanagi**

**Elizabeth "Lizzie" Murasaki**

**Alois Aoki**

**Aghni Izanagi (who we haven't met yet)**

_We're going to be in for something interesting when they _all_ meet, that's for sure! Until then, I'm always really happy when I hear from you, so drop a comment and tell me what you think!_

'_Til next time! :D_


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I don't own Kuroshitsuji, and I never will, as sad as that it. It all belongs to Yana Toboso.**

_A/N:_

_I'm back! Only a week late! I wasn't exactly expecting to fall behind like this, especially since I've been going this well with the updates!_

_Oh well, I guess it couldn't be helped. But in compensation for the wait, the chapter's extra long, so I hope that counts! :D_

_I think this is really the chapter where you can see some crucial elements of the plot come up, one of them rather obvious (you'll see what I mean!), and others a bit more subtle. Keep in mind that most details have a meaning to them (well, maybe not _all_ of them, but lots of them do!), so hopefully you'll start getting a little into what it's store._

_And as promised, Ciel and Sebastian meet this chapter, though perhaps not in the way you expected (or maybe it is?)!_

_I'll take one more line (yes, I _know_ I'm being annoying! XD) to give a big thanks to all those who reviewed/read/favorited/put the story on alert. It's a great inspiration to see so much positive feedback and input!_

_Right then, I'll let you see for yourself! _

**Chapter Four: Calm Chaos**

As Ciel absent-mindedly strolled across the Scramble Crossing amidst the crowd generated by the early mornings of Shibuya's population going about their daily activities, he couldn't help but think about the previous day's encounter. Refraining from sighing irritably as he walked on, he ironically pondered upon the fact that _if_ his day's woes could have been summed up by the slightly traumatizing 'display of affection' Alois had _oh_-so eagerly demonstrated at lunch hour, then perhaps Ciel would have been inclined to call the day _mildly_ uneventful. That is, compared to the current dilemma he was in _now_, seeing as how yesterday's happenings _hadn't_ stopped at that particular moment.

No, as if fainting in public to fall into some sort of oneiric world trapped deep within the recesses of his mind hadn't been enough excitement on Phantomhive's part for one day, he'd managed to actually _meet_ people from back then as well. Needless to say, the meeting had managed to send his poor mind already in shambles into an overdrive of images and memories. Thank goodness he hadn't passed out again, or else he wouldn't have known _what_ to think anymore.

Ciel certainly recalled what he considered to be a great deal of his escapades in company of his butler, and the redhead of a shinigami that always seemed to enjoy openly flirting with this Sebastian he had yet to fully remember in clarity. And for some reason, the mere _thought_ of it annoyed him and ticked him off with a steadily growing vengeance the more he pondered about the memories. It was strange for Ciel to feel any kind of irritation for those sorts of things, and so naturally, the seventeen-year-old was rendered more and more confused as time went by.

According to William, the only actually _sane_ person he'd met so far in the whole of Japan, the fact that he recalled anything _at all_ about his previous life was a rare occurrence in itself; having him steadily remembering _everything_ was something that just simply _hadn't_ ever been seen before. And it was something Ciel was willing to believe. Otherwise, he was sure he'd have heard about more reincarnation stories on those talk shows his mother seemed to enjoy watching back in England. William had briefly and curtly explained to Ciel that the both of them were in Shibuya to monitor an exceptional situation, and although he'd refused to say anything more, Ciel _knew_ that 'exceptional situation' just _had_ to be himself. After all, if they were both supposedly anchored in English territory, why _else_ would they have come all the way to _Japan_? Ciel couldn't possibly fathom any other explanation.

Perhaps if William hadn't been there practically _breathing_ down his neck, the inborn pain-in-the-neck Grell could have been of some assistance (albeit indirectly), as he seemed rather prone to spontaneous outbursts of information (which were effectively put to a stop for what Ciel guessed was his own well-being in presence of William). Apparently, from the little he'd managed to garnish from the redhead before he'd been viciously clobbered over the head by some unidentified object Ciel thought _disturbingly _resembled a clip, Grell was still very much infatuated with his former butler, to the point where he needlessly displayed fits of childish behavior. Such as pouting and portraying decidedly _feminine _personality quirks. Whether it was an in-the-moment feeling or some sort of residue from Phantomhive's memories, Ciel always felt an overall shiver, complemented by goose bumps spreading across his body whenever Grell spoke of Sebastian. It was just so _indecent _and _nasty_ that Ciel couldn't even _begin_ to explain how much it repulsed him... And from what little he'd seen of Phantomhive's memories, Sebastian seemed to give off the same sort of reaction to the redhead.

It had been a blessing and a curse all at once when the unlikely pair had _at last_ decided to depart back to the 'Shinigami Headquarters' (whatever, and _wherever_ that was...). A blessing, as Ciel felt an uncharacteristic desire to _slaughter_ mount within him at each passing second spent in Grell's company, and curse since quite obviously, he hadn't managed to scrape off the information he'd wanted in the first place.

Speaking of which, what exactly _had_ been the information he'd wanted? Now that he thought about in more depth, Ciel couldn't recall ever knowing _precisely_ what he wanted to be told about. It was more like a general need to know about _everything_, from the smallest of details to the greater picture. And if he was to take William's reaction as any sort of tip, Ciel apparently _wasn't_ going to be getting anything from the two shinigamis. Quite the contrary, as Ciel had learned the previous afternoon. Sighing as he continued his monotonous march towards Seijuu Academy, Ciel knew he would have to search for answers elsewhere. The real question was, where _was_ elsewhere exactly?

Ciel didn't have all that much time to ponder over the dilemma any longer, as his musings were interrupted by a shrill cry of,

"Ciel-kun!"

Ciel whipped around, coming face-to-face with his three newest 'friends', namely an overenthusiastic pair consisting of Lizzie and Izanagi, alongside an Alois who, while looking seemingly displeased with the over exuberant display, had the ghost of a mischievous smirk dancing across his lips.

'Tch. If there was ever a devil in disguise, it was definitely_ him_...' Ciel mused sardonically.

However, he hadn't been given anymore time to dwell on the subject, as he was momentarily blinded by an oncoming mass of flesh, before he found himself back flat against the sidewalk, with the weight of none other than Lizzie and Izanagi pinning him down in a literally _bone-crushing_ hug...

"Ciel-kun! It's so great to see you again!" Lizzie gushed in happiness; something Ciel had learned was somewhat characteristic of teenage girls over the course of his life.

Oh no, scratch that. Make that teenage girls and _Grell_...

"I-it's nice to see you to Lizzie-chan..." he managed to say, his voice strained from his recent intimate encounter with what was commonly named side_walk_. As in meant for _walking_, not random fits of _glomping_...

It was then that Izanagi's darker head popped into view beside Lizzie's, giving Ciel a rather frightening view of the scarily in-sync couple.

"Mou, you could act a little happier in the morning Ciel-kun! It's always better to reply when your friends say hello."

Here he went _again_ with the patronizing. Ciel knew from experience (regardless of the fact that it wasn't his own) that Izanagi's patronizing was never a good sign. If he followed Phantomhive's memories well-enough, it could lead to rather... _drastic_ complications... namely house-squatting...

"R-right..." Ciel wheezed out, starting to run out of air as the two still didn't relinquish their hold on him. He'd also begun to notice the rather curious and odd stares they'd been receiving ever since Ciel had re-acquainted himself with the ground.

Alois chose that moment in particular to show up right beside them, standing above them, towering Ciel and showing off a now full-blown smirk. Ciel frowned despite his now increasingly rapid decline of air.

"Y-you're not going to help me, are you...?" he wheezed out.

Alois's smirk grew even wider, if such a thing was even considered possible at this point.

"Under normal circumstances? No. But since you're just so _irresistibly _cute, lying there all helpless, how _could_ I possibly say no?" And with that, the blond effortlessly pulled off the two offenders, leaving Ciel in a quickly angering heap of ruffled clothes (and incidentally, _feathers_...), a dark glare thrown in Alois's general direction.

"I thought we'd talked about this _yesterday_..." he said between his teeth, obviously on the verge of seething.

"Ah, ah. You made me promise I'd _stop_. You never specified just_ what_ it was I had to stop..."

Oh the _little_...!

Alois caught on to Ciel's angry vibe rather quickly, seemingly more and more amused at his comrade's rapidly mounting temper. My, it certainly _was_ a sight to behold; and a rather _funny_ one at that...

Still ticked off by Alois and his obvious and merciless teasing, Ciel pushed himself off the ground with the help of his own hands and legs, and proceeded to brush off the excess dust and dirt specks that now riddled his previously pristine white uniform shirt. It was during moments like this that Ciel thanked whatever all-mighty power was out there that their uniform pants happened to be the rather _convenient _color of _black_...

Sighing in barely contained irritation, Ciel turned his back to Alois while he addressed the other two,

"I'd appreciate it if you _didn't_ do that in the future. Personally, I like the sidewalk better when I'm _walking_ on it, not _sprawled_ across it..."

"Oh, come on Ciel-kun! It wasn't that bad! I do it to Aghni all the time, and _he_ doesn't complain about it!" retorted Izanagi, arms now crossed across his chest in a childish display of pouting.

In the back of his mind, he couldn't help but wonder how Izanagi's poor younger brother managed to put up with him on an almost twenty-four hour basis. The very concept already gave Ciel the ghost of an oncoming headache; not to mention since Lizzie lived nearby, _calm_ most likely _wasn't_ something that was usually used to describe the general atmosphere of the place.

"We're sorry if we made you angry Ciel-kun. We only wanted to say hello..." Lizzie apologized softly, something Ciel felt was decidedly _un_characteristic of her. He couldn't help but oblige her and her hyperactive boyfriend just this once...

"It's... fine Lizzie-chan. Just don't do it again _like that_..."

The girl and Izanagi nodded vigorously, the widest of smile plastered upon their faces as they moved in to hug him again.

An action that was put to an almost immediate stop when they both froze, eyes wide as they stared at Ciel. He frowned, watching them as they slowly backed away from him at what Ciel was progressively beginning to think was an alarming rate.

"What...?"

"Maa, that was so cute and _cunning _Ciel... Keep on going like that, and you're going to manage to turn me on..."

Ciel swiveled around, eyes wide as he stared directly at Alois's half-lidded eyes for the second time in two days, his face mere inches from his own while his hot breath danced tantalizingly across his skin.

_Oh_, there was _no way _in _hell_ he was going to let it happen _again_!

Ciel pulled away before Alois could attempt to defile his poor mouth again, backing away until his back hit Izanagi's chest lightly.

"You...!"

"Aw, you're no fun Ciel..." he replied, sighing in an overly dramatic manner.

If one was to ask any of the passersby at that precise moment, they would have most likely taken notice of the fact that Ciel, right about then, was the spitting image of hissing cat, his teeth bared in his fury at the now positively laughing blond.

**VVVVVVVV**

Sebastian had always taken pride in the fact that he was a particularly patient man (or rather _demon_ if he went into specifics), as he took all the necessary time to allow his prey to grow and mature to the levels he so ardently desired for his prestigious meals. He could wait centuries in order to find the right pick, the ripe forbidden fruit of desire and sin that he would feast upon when the time was right. It was an almost obligatory virtue one was to have if in search of the highest class of souls to devour: after all, as the humans put it, 'Rome wasn't built in a day'.

Thus, it was an entirely_ incomprehensible_ thing to see Sebastian pacing up and down the vast corridor of one of the upper floors of Rosen Industries, hands held together behind his back as he looked to the ground, deep in his thoughts. Although he was equally prideful in his ability to never be _truly_ surprised by his masters (with but one exception in mind), he'd been utterly and thoroughly _stumped_ by Miss Arisu this time around. Then again, _how _could he_ not _be when she'd just ordered him to stalk and manipulate a boy that bore his previous master's name, said previous master being the one human he just couldn't seem to get his mind off of. The young Phantomhive had always and forever remained a taboo subject in his mind and memories, as each time he'd been brought up in the earlier years following his death, Sebastian had felt an odd pang, an emotion he wasn't normally akin to feeling. Sardonically, he'd mused at the time that _even_ in death, his young master would continue to puzzle him remarkably well.

The whole thing had just gotten even _more_ disturbing as Sebastian, considering the last day's events, had had _a lot_ of time on his hands to ponder and reminisce over his time with the Phantomhive boy. Now that he could no longer think of anything _but _him, it seemed as if the more time passed, the more Sebastian realized that there was _something_ missing in his memories. Not that it was seen as he scanned through said parts of his life, but more as an all together feeling, a sentiment that left him perplexed and troubled. Not only that, but a strange sort of blank when his mind reached the moment of their contract's end. While his rational mind was certain he remembered everything correctly, at that particular moment, he had the odd and singular sensation that there was a detail he was omitting. A rather _important_ detail might he add, despite his inner mind's scolding that there couldn't possibly anything of significant importance that he could've forgotten. Nonetheless, Sebastian kept his instinctive inkling in the back of his mind for any future reference. If he was bound to be forced to recall his time with the young Phantomhive, then at least he would make the needless pondering something productive.

All too suddenly, a door on his right swung open, revealing the famed and acclaimed CEO of Rosen Industries (a right she'd inherited by birth, and not by sheer _merit_ as Sebastian had understood it), Arisu Hanagizawa. He had to admit, the woman wasn't all together bad looking in her work attire, her generally black clothes complementing the darkness of her amber eyes, the only thing about her person that revealed anything as to her true nature. However, despite observing this, Sebastian found her to be entirely unlike his type. Not that he even _had_ a type as a demon anyway.

"_Sebastian_, my _darling_! What on earth are you doing here pacing? Come in, come in _dear_!" she cooed, making Sebastian nauseous at the excess sweetness that enlaced her voice.

It was to be expected, despite his great dislike of it; he _was_ posing as her husband, and unfortunately, they had to keep up a public façade. He nodded to her as was considered appropriate, his usual alluring smile gracing his facial features as he entered the room, waiting for her to close the heavy door behind her before doing anything else. She whipped around, dropping her bittersweet act as she slowly approached the demon in the way a lion stalks its prey, or so Sebastian believed it be.

"Good, good; you actually _came_ today, and at the right hour too. It seems you've finally learned that my plans and schemes work much like clockwork; one second too much or too little, and the entire mechanism falls to pieces."

"Of course we wouldn't want _that_ to happen Mistress, now _would_ we?" he answered in a tone that was laced with underlying mockery. Sebastian was extremely glad he was a particularly adept actor; without such a skill, it would have been entirely impossible for him to mask his discomfort as to the whole situation, seeing as it reminded of things he'd have rather forgotten. He couldn't afford to let by any weaknesses, or else he'd be in a rather tight spot indeed.

As he knew she would, Miss Arisu frowned in irritation. Clucking with her tongue against her palette, she bit her bottom lip in her aggravation and answered acidly,

"I've already _told_ you that I_ will not_ tolerate any unnecessary comments from you, _demon_."

"Indeed you have Mistress. I'm so very sorry I forgot my place."

"You'd best remember it, if you know what's good for you."

He restrained a monumental smirk. Such _empty_ words and threats from the filthy mouth of a mere _mortal_.

"Yes Mistress, I'll be sure to remind myself of that in the future."

Though she still seemed entirely unconvinced (and for good reason), it was rather obvious that the woman no longer had anything sufficient enough to say against him. As such, she put aside her highly noticeable irritation for what she would call 'more important things'.

"I hope you remember what I told you yesterday Sebastian...?"

"Naturally Mistress. I am to meet this Ciel Kurosu and extort any and all information from him concerning his family's enterprise, in the most subtle of ways possible."

"_Well_, you see that you learn well when you _want_ to... and might I remind you that you'll be doing all of this so as to _avoid_ any involvement on my part."

"As was originally planned Mistress."

"_Perfect_. Considering it's already mid-afternoon, I suggest you go and take care of things with that so-called school of his _immediately_. Wouldn't want any odd questions popping up later, now _would_ we?"

Sebastian this time trulycould _not_ contain his smirk. So driven by her greed the woman was that she attached the greatest importance to the smallest and most insignificant of details. Perhaps that was one of her more interesting traits. Or rather one of her _only_ interesting traits that is. Sebastian was to show up at the school (Seijuu Academy, was it?) a tad bit earlier than class ending time, to have a _chat_ with the school's head. No, on second thought, perhaps _chat_ really _wasn't_ the word to use. As far as Sebastian went, he believed _coerce _and _hypnotize_ to be far more realistic ways of defining what was to transpire behind closed doors. It was, after all, the only way to make certain that no one who didn't need to know what was about to happen _wouldn't_ discover anything. It would only bring about needless and tedious complications (at least on his mistress's part).

Sebastian then took his leave from the woman; he didn't especially enjoy spending any length of time in her company anymore than was strictly necessary, and loitering about her business's headquarters was one of the things that entered into the realm of Sebastian's more detested activities. As he made his way into the nearest elevator to freedom (a paradox to his general condition Sebastian found rather laughable), he encountered quite a number of Rosen's employees, going about their daily tasks. Some cheerfully greeted him; others gave him a startled and slightly frightful 'hello'. They all knew it was best if they treated their boss's 'husband' with the utmost respect; they, as had Sebastian on more than one occasion, learned that it was best to not openly disregard Miss Arisu, or as she was called by these flocks of men and women, Hanagizawa-sachou.

Stepping out into the busy streets of Shibuya, the sounds of cars rumbling by and of senseless chatter assaulting his ears, Sebastian gave a resigned sigh as he made his way towards Seijuu Academy on foot, knowing full well he could get there rather quickly as the school only lay on the outskirts of Shibuya, not all too far from Rosen Industries. A simple twenty-minute walk was nothing to the demon that'd had his fair share of walking back in the day.

Regardless of the fact that the name brought back a lifetime's worth of memories he'd rather have forgotten, Sebastian couldn't help but be curious as to whom Ciel Kurosu truly was. The fact that his mistress hadn't given him a photograph of the young man led him to be far more intrigued; apparently, he wasn't supposed to know what the boy looked like, lest it bring unwanted suspicions upon her. Sebastian scoffed as he pointed out yet _another _of his mistress's nasty and completely _unnecessary_ habits that, in the case, only served to aggravate the demon. Such human foolishness she incarnated, like the rest of them. There truly _wasn't_ anything special about the woman in the least.

Smirking to himself as he walked on, Sebastian largely anticipated the meeting with this 'Ciel Kurosu'. It'd at least manage to give him his day's worth of excitement if what the human's called 'Lady Luck' was still on his side...

**VVVVVVVV**

It was dark, and decidedly sinister in its general disposition. As the loosened wooden planks that smelled of rot and mold gave way to the empty darkness, clouds of dust rose from the ancient floor, the once gleaming marble covered in layers of settled dust, dirt and fallen cobwebs.

As Ciel sneezed quietly at the onslaught of dust that flew to his face, he numbly wondered why on _earth_ he'd even _agreed_ to this...

Indeed, that afternoon at lunch, Ciel had discovered from Lizzie, Izanagi, and Alois that they exceptionally had an entire block of two hours that were free of classes at the end of the day. And much to Ciel's chagrin, the three of them had naturally brought up the subject of their more recent _adventures _within the school. As Ciel had been previously told, there were a few abandoned wings that littered the building here and there, and one had to be particularly persistent if they set out with the objective of discovering them all. Apparently, according to the three of them at least, the last time they'd found an alcove that, while seemingly produced a dead-end, had an unusual place in the wall that was covered in odd planks. Naturally, this time around, it was something worthy to investigate. And as such, Ciel had _ever_ so kindly _agreed_ (make that been _coerced_...) into accompanying them in their escapade that the young man was beginning to think was only reserved for either the extremely childish, or the generally foolish. At this point, he didn't know _which_ option sounded the best; both criteria fit rather well in his opinion.

And so, Ciel had been dragged along by the formidable trio (a name he'd thought of spontaneously that he saw as quite befitting) and into one of the abandoned halls he'd been told of by the school's headmaster when he'd been given a tour. From what little the old man had told him of it, the entire school building had once belonged to a rich noble family from Europe, thus explaining its very Europeanized look that was singularly different from the traditional architecture present in Japan. The owners of the place, upon their death, had requested the elaborate manor be made into a school, only specifying that a few places in the old building to be left as they were, untouched and unchanged for eternity. A concept and demand Ciel didn't quite understand the use of, but who was he to question long dead people? It wasn't as if they were going to rise from the grave and answer his inquiries.

In knowing this (and the fact that those halls were out-of-bounds for pretty much _everyone_), Ciel was nonetheless dragged into the nasty place that Lizzie, Izanagi, and Alois already seemed to know quite well, considering it was an off-limits place. Through a few twists and turns Ciel (albeit reluctantly) admitted were vastly complicated and difficult to memorize, they reached the so-called 'mystery' room where there indeed were wooden planks that seemed to be on the verge of rotting plastered onto the walls. Ciel, while looking upon the wood in an analytical manner, had pointed out to no one in particular that although it could have been assumed that the boards had been placed as a form of reparation by the school, the fact that no signs of such actions was visible anywhere else in the place and the question of why choose _this_ place in particular to renovate led him to believe that the planks had been placed there by the original owners. The only question left to ask now was _why_ had it been done? It was most obviously to hide something from unwanted guests; that much was a certainty. The other three had look at him in some form of awe, Alois being more than pleasantly surprised by Ciel's deductive skills.

Which led them to their current situation, standing before a dark and intimidating abyss that threatened to swallow them whole should they decide to venture beyond the threshold of the doorway that had been subsequently revealed. And although Ciel still didn't _exactly_ approve of the whole idea, he couldn't deny that his insatiable curiosity was indeed awakening the longer he stared at the gateway of darkness.

"Wow. We've been scouring the place for god-knows how long, and we _never_ found this thing...?" whispered Alois in a tone akin to awe.

"It.. it's a little scary..., I can't see anything..." whispered Lizzie in turn, slightly hunched over as she stuck to Izanagi's side, seeking some form of reassurance. Izanagi in turn snaked a protective arm around her waist, looking somewhat serious for once. Ciel could have been shocked had he not been so enraptured by what lay before him.

"Lizzie-chan's right. All the other places we've been always have a little light shining through because of the windows. I don't know were that goes, but I don't think it had any windows..." Izanagi stated, looking a tad bit uneasy. It was rather odd, considering he'd been so enthusiastic about this escapade in the first place, but Ciel supposed it was only natural to feel apprehension in the face of something that, needless to say, _reeked _of bad omens.

"Well? Isn't anyone of you going to actually see what's in there?" Ciel asked, his voice firm, and yet barely above a whisper. Somehow, the thought of speaking aloud in such a place didn't seem like a very intelligent idea, and Ciel was well aware that his intuitions were best followed when in such situations.

"Are you crazy Ciel-kun? We can't go in there! It _must_ have been sealed off for a reason! What if something happens to you!" Izanagi whispered frantically, having let go of Lizzie in favor of gesticulating his arms furiously in the air. Ciel refrained from smirking, and instead opted to frown,

"Oh? Are you chickening out on this? Might I remind you this was entirely _your_ idea? And what's this, feeling like you aren't supposed to be in there? We're not even supposed to be _here_, so I _really_ don't see where the problem is..."

Ciel was startled when Alois gently placed his hand on Ciel's shoulder, his light blue eyes heavy with a seriousness he hadn't shown up until now, despite the fact that Ciel had suspected his capacity to act as such when necessary.

"Don't you feel it, Ciel? Don't you feel something... _different_ coming from in there?" His face contorted into something Ciel would have gladly qualified as the devil's smirk; from the few memories of the Phantomhive he had at his disposal, Ciel was quite willing to compare it to the sort of otherworldly expression his butler Sebastian had exhibited on occasion. Had Ciel been a weaker man, he would have cringed and shivered in his discomfort. Instead, he held Alois's gaze with an equally powerful one. He continued,

"It's almost as if... you'll get eaten _whole_ and never escape from it again once you enter it."

Ciel's eyes narrowed at Alois. How _dare_ he assume he was as pitiful as the rest of them? And with that creepy, teasing look about him to boot! He wasn't going to let some foolhardy fear keep him from doing what he'd agreed to do. He was a man of _pride_ (if one could call it that at this point), he was the _Phantomhive _heir, regardless of the fact that it had been in a past life he possessed scarce memories of. He didn't back down from his word, nor did he abandon something that hadn't been completed; it was in his nature to go to the absolute end before stopping and returning from where he'd come from. A cold determination he was more and more certain came from his (albeit unconscious) heritage from the Phantomhive. He marched straight up to Lizzie, who held any and all material they could have needed in a bag, and promptly snatched away the sole flashlight that lay amongst the many other diverse contents of the cloth sack she carried. Swiveling around, he took a deep breath and turned his head back slightly so as to catch the lot of them in his eyesight range,

"If none of you will go, then _I _will. I'll go and check what's in it, and then I'll come back and tell you there's absolutely _nothing_ wrong with it besides the fact that it's dark."

And with that, he was off into the darkened depths, and although he was admittedly a tad bit apprehensive, and despite the whispered, desperate cries of his friends that tried to call him back to the light, Ciel walked on into the empty, desolate abyss ahead.

Thinking back on it later, Ciel would undeniably try and resist slapping himself out of his idiocy. Just because he was trying to prove a point, it in _no_ means meant that he shouldn't turn on his flashlight. _Especially_ considering the place was as dark as could even be considered possible, and that it was more than likely that not a single human being had set foot in it for at least a century, if it wasn't any longer.

Thus was how Ciel Kurosu ended up taking one step _even_ farther into the darkness, omitting to imagine the possibility of something _other_ than flat ground. Omitting the possible presence of a _staircase_. And considering the thing was made of wood, as old and rotten as the planks covering the doorway had been, it was more than predictable that it would collapse under such an onslaught of weight. Which it _did_. Ciel gasped as he felt the ground not only _drop _from its previous level, but subsequently_ give way_ beneath his right foot, sending the young man crashing to whatever floors lay below through the hole in the stairway.

Having heard the distinctive sound of wood cracking, and of Ciel falling with a grand _crash!_ to the floor below, it was only natural that the three individuals waiting in some sort of shocked stupor to cry out in worry,

"Ciel!"

"**Ciel-kun!"**

Ciel groaned as he pushed himself off the ground, clutching at his left arm. It seemed the limb had taken the majority of the fall, and it was thus a bit sore from the less-than-comfortable landing he'd just experienced. Hearing the worried cries of his friends resonating above his head, Ciel called back, this time not in whisper,

"I'm fine! Stop yelling already!"

"But Ciel-kun...!" he heard a feminine voice he knew belonged to Lizzie protest.

"I _said_ I was _fine_ Lizzie-chan! I'll come right back up, just wait a minute!"

And although Ciel sounded quite confident as he called up to them, he realized his situation was a bit preoccupying nonetheless. In the tumble he'd suffered from, he'd managed to lose hold of the flashlight, plunging him into pitch-black darkness. He _could _make out some distinct forms from the light that was filtering through from the opening that was the pseudo-door up above, though his sight didn't go far enough for him to see where the flashlight had landed. He could see a few of the debris from the wooden stair he'd stepped on, scattered here and there all around him, as if in some sort of preordained ring. Ciel resisted the urge to growl in annoyance. How _exactly_ was he supposed to get back up there if he couldn't even _see_ where he was going? If only he hadn't dropped the flashlight...

... But the again, there _was_ fire he could ignite. This time faintly growling at his apparently lack reactivity, Ciel grabbed for the spare lighter he always had lying in his pocket, finding it a handy object to carry around. This event only served to prove that point further. Snatching a rather small piece of wood off of the floor, he brought the tip of it to his lighter and pushed onto the igniter. Instantly, a wee flame flickered to life, and a few moments later still, the hungry flame had begun to lick gluttonously at the wood, growing as it spread across the tip and lit Ciel's immediate surroundings with a glowing, ethereal orange light, dancing to and fro in its excitement. He knew he would have to act fast, as the flame wouldn't waste its time in devouring the twig-like piece of wood he'd chosen as a torch. Looking back from where he'd come from, Ciel saw that his fall, although harsh, hadn't been from all that high up. From what he could see, he estimated the height of the staircase to be something close to three meters, give or take a bit. He couldn't _climb_ it up, but using a few of the stairs as a means to get him higher, it was a feasible thing to attempt. Turning around in the hopes of perhaps finding himself another twig to buy him more time, Ciel's train of thought was rather abruptly put to an end when he caught sight of what lay beyond him, even further into the murky, uncertain depths of the place he'd fallen into.

Upon further inspection, he might have taken notice of the fact that this place in particular seemed to have even _more_ dust and cobwebs littering the floors and walls than the rest of the wing, leaving one to assume this mysterious place had been out of use for even _longer_ than the 'upstairs' halls. A vine or two crept up the walls, and here and there a few bits and pieces of the rocks that seemed to compose the wall lay like crumbling ruins upon the floor, forgotten in the meanders of time. But that wasn't in the least what had captured and withheld Ciel's attention; without it, the rest of the place could have been akin to an abandoned crypt, empty of coffins with corpses turned to dust.

An intricate door, high and grand as any door to a main hall wing stood before him, mighty immortal against time, framed by a complex design that greatly resembled the most delicate of embroideries, only made of the finest gold. Despite the ancient, crumbled and ruined state of the deceitful alcove he'd fallen prey to, the door glistened in the meager flame's light, polished and as beautiful as it should have been on the first day. Forged in what could only be the most precious of bronze, the shadowed reflection of the hungry flame drew pattern after pattern upon its smooth, untouched surface. All at once, Ciel felt a maelstrom of various emotions wash over him, steadily growing in intensity the longer he stared at the unmarred perfection.

Intrigue. Mystery. _Danger_. _Fear_. Insatiable _allurement_. And above all, a _pull_ so strong and so deep that it struck a cord buried in the very depths of his consciousness, more so than even the odd oneiric realm of elegantly swimming streams of images. And yet despite the attraction that defied all forms of logic, there was an ever-present _fear_. Not as if he were frightened of what he would find beyond. Oh _no_, it was as if something within him _knew_ what it was that lay beyond the threshold, and that it was the one thing that he feared the most out of all things...

Unable to contain the pull, now swiftly turning into a _need_, Ciel approached the door, a veritable rampart against time itself, extending his left arm that still shook from the fall, as if _daring_ himself to brush his fingertips against something that vastly exceeded him. However, before he could bring himself to touch the bronze perfection, his gaze caught of a rather complex mechanism, that upon further inspection seemed to act as some sort of _seal_ to the door. As if keeping any and all trespassers out by force. The more his gaze skimmed the door, the more details he seemed to be garnishing, finally laying eyes on a barely visible inscription, etched upon the upper frame of the door, passing on a message for countless ages. Ciel, approaching the remnants of the flame he bore to the top of the door, he recognized three forms of script, languages that he supposed spoke the same untimely words.

One was in Latin, Ciel could decipher that much. However, his comprehension of the long forgotten tongue wasn't nearly sufficient enough to allow him to understand the message.

Another was in what Ciel perceived to be some sort of archaic form of ancient Japanese he couldn't and most likely would _never_ comprehend.

The last, however, was written in French. Old French perhaps, but French nonetheless. It was, undeniably, a language he could understand, as his mother had drilled it into his mind alongside a few others when he'd been young.

_**Nulle autre que celui dont la destinée l'y oblige ne peut entrer en ce lieu. Seul l'être dont la venue est écrite franchira le seuil de la porte immortelle.**_

"None other than the one whose destiny dictates it shall enter the place beyond. Only the being whose coming has been written shall cross the threshold of the immortal door..." Ciel murmured to himself.

What on _earth_...?

"Oi, Ciel, you alive down there?" a distant voice called out to him, effectively snapping him from his reverie. He supposed it was Alois who was calling out to him, considering the lack of an honorific to his name.

It was then that Ciel took notice of the flame he'd lit, slowly inching its way down towards his hand, consuming little by little the poor twig he held clutched in his tight fist.

'Damn!' he cursed silently, whipping around and running back towards the broken stairway. Ever so gingerly, and with the most caution he'd ever taken, he stepped onto the first two steps, careful to not overwhelm the thing with his weight. Climbing slowly, he at long last managed to gain a height that was sufficient enough to make a grab for the ledge of stone with out falling out. Playing with fire (in the very literal sense), he placed the twig between his teeth, hoping the flame wouldn't reach his face before he was through, and jumped, both of his forearms landing on the dusty ledge. Holding back a sneeze at the explosion of dirt that formed a cloud around him, he pushed himself up with a bit of difficulty, finally managing to pull his legs over the ledge. Taking the twig back into his hand, he threw it to the ground and promptly stomped upon it, putting the flame, plunging Ciel back into the omnipresent darkness. Walking towards the entrance where he could already see his friends, the stepped out into the light, coughing slightly. He was instantly embraced by Lizzie and Izanagi, naturally.

"Ciel-kun! We were so worried!"

"Yeah, you scared us there Ciel-kun! You aren't hurt or anything, right?"

"No, I'm _fine_, just like I said before. Nothing to worry about."

And just when he thought they were about to drop the issue, Alois spoke those words that brought Ciel's mind back to the alluring and bewitching door,

"What _I'd_ like to know is what could have _possibly_ been so interesting down there that he took so long in coming out..."

Ciel held back an annoyed growl. Alois was entirely too perceptive for his own good. Or rather, for _Ciel's _own good really. He'd have to tread carefully around the blond, or he could end up discovering far more than he should. Not that the door really _was_ a secret, but something within Ciel, perhaps intuition, silently coaxed him into keeping his mouth shut. Somehow, it seemed as though the door wasn't meant to be found, particularly whatever lay _beyond_ it.

"There was _nothing_ down there. Just vines and broken rocks. I was busy looking for Lizzie-chan's _flashlight _if you _must_ know..."

A blatant lie, but at this point, it wasn't as if it was going to hurt anyone, was it? Silently, the group followed Ciel as he trouped out of the unexceptional room, 'taking his word for it' as they said. Alois still seemed to have a few doubts as to Ciel's story, and though determined to find out whatever it _was_ he could have seen down there, even _he_ knew when to stop pushing. He preferred needless _teasing_ far more in any matter. He swiftly grabbed onto the boy's shoulders as Lizzie and Izanagi continued their walk up ahead to the exit,

"You know Ciel, I was _so_ scared for you... what if there was a demon down there? Or a ghost? Or maybe even _worse_... like an _incubus_? Not that _I _would mind if you jumped at _me_..." he whispered tantalizingly, licking Ciel's ear experimentally.

"_**ALOIS**_**!**"

**VVVVVVVV**

Sebastian had to admit; despite the boy being an intrigue for him, as well as a relatively _simple_ task to undertake in the name of the contract, he was proving to be _quite_ a hassle... Namely in the form of the demon wasting his precious time. Not that he didn't have as much as he wanted on his hands, but boredom and waiting on some non-identified individual that _wasn't_ a contractor, regardless or not of the fact that said individual _happened_ to bear his old master's name, was _not_ something Sebastian particularly enjoyed doing. Not _at all_. Thus, it was comprehensible that the demon was growing steadily more and more irritated at the lack of the young man's _presence_. According to the school's headmaster (which he'd quite easily manipulated, it was almost _funny_), the boy's class had been let out earlier due to some event Sebastian hadn't taken the time acknowledge. It was, thus, an acceptable outcome to believe that the young man would come and meet him _early_. Instead, Sebastian had ended up waiting even _longer_ than was initially planned. Decidedly _not_ something he was enjoying, or as the English put it, 'it wasn't _exactly_ his cup of tea'...

From his pocket, he drew out the elaborate silver pocket-watch he'd been given so long ago by Ciel Phantomhive himself, back when he'd been his faithful butler. The contraption held a certain elegance to it, and it was so very intricate in detail that Sebastian had never found it in himself to dispose of it. He, of course, _refused_ to believe that he'd kept it as a form of _keepsake_ that reminded of the Earl of Phantomhive. Such an act coming from a demon was despicable to think about, and thus Sebastian disregarded it entirely.

Nonetheless, he quite liked to fiddle with it, and take it out, the sound of the contraption snapping open and shut resounding like music in his ears, a nostalgia from a certain time long passed.

It was, as such, at the moment when he drew out the elegant pocket-watch bearing the Phantomhive coat of arms, that the first actually _sound_ from students he'd heard in a while came to his ears, dancing on the wind. Looking to his far right, he caught sight of two young individuals, one a young lady with bouncy blond curls; clearly not entirely Japanese. The other was a boy slightly taller, his tanned skin also proof of his foreign heritage. They seemed to be talking animatedly, joking about one thing or another. Sebastian scoffed at them. He wouldn't have truly paid attention to them any further, had one of the boy's phrases not scuttled to his ear, like a shy breeze,

"Oh _yes_! Too bad we didn't stay back with them! Alois is kind of scary, but it's worth seeing little Ciel-kun all riled up! ... I think he'd kill me if he knew I said that, right?"

The girl giggled, but Sebastian hardly paid any of that attention. They'd said _Ciel_. And he knew for certain that there was only _one_ person in this entire flock of humans attending the school that had such a name. If he got them to tell him where the blasted boy was, it would save him the trouble of waiting aimlessly. Slowly and silently approaching the pair, he quickly ended up right behind them, addressing them in a soft, honey-coated tone, a deceitful smile sneaking its way across his features,

"Hello there young Sir and Miss. You wouldn't happen to know where I could find Ciel Kurosu-san by any chance?"

The girl, gasping spun around, while the boy followed suite almost immediately. And for once, it was Sebastian's turn to suffer from a sharp intake of breath, miraculously keeping his welcoming smile on his face.

Of all the places in the world to find people he'd once known, it _had_ to be here, and it _had_ to be the reincarnations of Lady Elizabeth and Prince Sohma. Although the feeling of déjà-vu was omnipresent in his mind, it wasn't something he hadn't faced before. He supposed this time around, the feeling hit him particularly hard due to some excess of nostalgia from the late nineteenth century. And in any matter, it wasn't as if they remembered him. Reincarnations _never_ kept memories of their past lives, and in the rare cases that they _did_, they were only flashed of insignificant images that spoke no real truth.

"Ah, yes, we know where he is... but what do want with Ciel-kun?" Lady Elizabeth's counterpart asked, hesitant.

"Ah! I'm so sorry Miss. I haven't even properly introduced myself. My name is Sebastian Michealis, and I am here on behalf of the Kurosu family's business associate. Kurosu-san is to be brought to this associate's offices to meet with his parents and my employer in a more formal manner."

Had the girl been a bit less trusting, she would have continued to question him. As did Prince's Sohma's counter-part, who should have resumed questioning in her stead. But as Sebastian knew _exactly_ what to tell them to avoid unnecessary discussions, he knew he would inevitably receive an answer from them, regardless of their apprehensions.

"Oh... all right then. I guess you're a good guy!" she chuckled a bit as Sebastian smiled to her warmly. Or at least he _apparently_ did.

"Yup! I'm sure he's ok Lizzie-chan! Ciel-kun is over _there_ somewhere, taking it out on Alois... though Blondie _did _kind of deserve it..." He then proceeded to point in the general direction located behind him and Lizzie. Which was also behind Sebastian, thus forcing the demon to turn around so as to inspect said direction.

Needless to say, it didn't take too long to start hearing the apparently arguing pair, from what Sebastian had garnished.

"Aw, come on Ciel! You _know_ I didn't mean it like _that_..."

Sebastian inwardly cringed at the voice. Somehow, it seemed familiar, but he couldn't exactly put his finger on it... At any rate, something about the boy's voice put him off.

"You _did_ Alois! You absolutely _did_ mean it _that _way! That's _probably_ why I'm _pissed_ at you right now...!" another voice yelled, the venom in the voice of the seething boy dripping from his words like poison leaked from a snake's devious fangs.

Sebastian could honestly have been amused at the unsightly display of mental sparring between the two boys. It always intrigued the demon to watch how these things played out between humans, _especially_ when the protagonists seemed to have a tad bit of logic at play. But in this case, he just couldn't bring himself to _feel_ amusement.

Why so?

Perhaps it was because he was already frozen in place, crimson eyes wide in stupefaction and disbelief, all other feelings, sights, smells and noises drowning out before one single overwhelming thought that mercilessly took despotic control over his mind, planting its flag of dominion deep within.

_He knew that voice_! _He could recognize it anywhere, no matter the place, no matter the time_!

_His Young Master_! _How_?

And as sure as the sun set over the western horizon, bathed in twilight, there appeared beside a blond and frivolous looking boy, in all his glory and not a miniscule detail changed upon his physique, Ciel Kurosu, or more like it, Ciel _Phantomhive_ devoid of his initial memories, it seemed.

All this time he'd tried to forget and never recall it, and yet it continuously threw itself at him, as if the forbidden fruit of Eden who tempted the already sinful Eve that he was. So why _now_, of all times?

So caught up in his thoughts and shock he was that he barely even registered the pseudo-Sohma calling out to the blond (_Alois_ was it?), telling him to leave Ciel and he alone, as they had business together for family reasons. Not _exactly_ as he'd said it, but it worked all the same...

And as suddenly as the bolt of shock who's remnants still coursed through his veins, the three departed to who knew where, leaving only he and Ciel, standing in the vacant lot of asphalt, both staring with eyes wide and bodies immobile, as the lonely breeze was the sole one who dared disrupt their calm chaos...

**VVVVVVVV**

Ciel stared. It was all his mind could bear to do. As far as he was concerned, the scene had changed in a whirl of color and memories, bubbling to the surface in effervescence, like the liquid fire that burst from the mountains in clouds of smoke and chaos.

It couldn't be. It _couldn't be_! The eyes of the most alluring crimson, the mouth that so often had been raised in a smirk of sufficiency, the features that lay before him, dark and dangerous, driving him to play the devil's game.

The images flashed before his inner eye in a maelstrom of sensations and memories of an intensity that rivaled anything and _everything_ he'd ever felt before.

Sebastian. _Sebastian_!

It _couldn't _be and yet it _had_ to be! None other held those singular features that drew his gaze, that satiated his hunger for rivalry and adequate companionship. And there was something else, something he couldn't _possibly_ describe that had no name, like a pulsating need to _know_, to be _sure_ this was the right one. To _make_ sure it was the right one. To _own_ and _be_ owned, a want so strong for _everything_ that it was slowly drowning him in a crashing wave of sensation.

The man or demon before him spoke, his voice dark and rich, eliciting a plethora of other reminiscences.

"_What has once been lost can never return. Once you bind yourself to me, you forsake your path to heaven. Now choose."_

"_I shall remain by your side until the end, even if the king falls, even if I must follow you to hell."_

"_I am but one hell of a butler, Young Master."_

"_I've already taught you how to act when you want something, am I not right Young Master?"_

"_Yes, my Lord."_

"I apologize for my conduct. I am Sebastian Michealis, the subordinate of Miss Arisu Hanagizawa who has asked me to escort you to the Rosen Industries offices on request of your illustrious parents."

Ciel continued to stare at him, each breath filled with the musky, otherworldly scent of the entity before him, intoxicating him with more and more flashes of memories that were his own and _weren't _at the same time. It seemed that every one of his senses were on _fire_ when it came to _him_, like none of the others had triggered before. In his moment of sanity, Ciel mused that perhaps it was the remnants of the contract that had once bound them (as now he was _certain_ this was the demon, _his _demon) that mounted the emotions to such phenomenal heights. And of all the things he could have said, of all the things he _should_ have said, only a cracked, half-whispered name escaped, sounding as if a cross between disbelief and a desperate plea.

"Sebastian...?"

"Yes Kurosu-san. I, like yourself, have a rather foreign name, though I'll admit yours is a tad bit more _exotic_..."

"No... Sebastian... Michealis..."

Sebastian seemed to look at him questioningly, as if uncertain as to what it was exactly he was getting at.

"That _is_ my name Kurosu-san..."

Ciel's frustration was growing, albeit internally. He didn't know _how_ to get his message across correctly anymore.

However, as in most situations, frustration and aggravation cleared Ciel's mind enough to allow him to attempt to respond to Sebastian's inquiries adequately.

"I know... of course I know that's you're name... how _could_ I not..."

Sebastian's eyebrow rose elegantly, sending Ciel a silent question, urging him to continue. How the demon could act so at ease when he was reduced to this stumbling mess was beyond him.

"How _could_ I not when I'm... your master."

Sebastian's mouth opened slightly in surprise at this, but he remained silent. Having managed to make the demon's guard drop considerably gave Ciel a burst of confidence sufficient enough to restitute him his eloquent power of speech and persuasion.

"Could you perhaps be...? No, that's ridiculous, you _can't_ be _him_..." Sebastian mumbled the last part more to himself than to Ciel, but the young man perceived it nonetheless. He smirked, the mocking expression turning despite himself into a full-blown smile the more time passed.

"Oh but I _can_ be Sebastian. If by _him_ you mean the Earl Ciel _Phantomhive_, then he stands before you, that I can guarantee. Not whole and complete, but _here_ nonetheless."

Sebastian, at this declaration, returned to his shocked stupor, his right hand clenching and unclenching an invisible object in a vice grip, staring at Ciel with the troubled, chaotic eyes of the deepest crimson.

**VVVVVVVV**

_No_! _He wasn't_! _It was impossible_!

And yet... and yet it_ was_! He was _here_, in the flesh and breathing in life as he had over a hundred years prior, defying the world with his air of complete arrogance and sufficiency. Defying _him_ to this day, and drawing him into his deadly trap, once again igniting the long-forgotten flame of their complex games.

Ciel _Phantomhive_ had been reborn. And _with_ his memories to boot! It was glorious and distasteful all at once, the bittersweet, acrid sensation swooping over his emotions like a damper to his mind. How wonderful it was to have met such a brilliant mind once again, such an interesting and alluring human mind that had been given second life. How disgusting of him, as a demon, to even _condone_ such actions and pitiful feelings that he no longer had control over, as overwhelming as they were. How cruel that he would inevitably have to betray him, as he was no longer contracted to him...

... How _interesting_ now that he could test the limits of the contract he had forged with his mistress; treading the fine line between technicalities and treason. The very prospect could have sent shivers across his skin in anticipation...

From what he'd managed to garnish from Ciel's meager words, he hadn't yet recovered _all_ of his memories as a Phantomhive. Which meant that he was _still_ gaining them back. Meaning that Sebastian was going to tread that alluring line by helping and offering companionship to Ciel, his Young Master regardless of the place and time.

Oh yes, he would help Ciel, rekindle their relationship as partners, as sources of interest for the other as it had always been. And although returning to a master/servant context was impossible at this point, Sebastian relished in the thought that his life had once again been graced with the presence of the one human who could baffle him and captivate him in ways no one else had ever managed.

Ciel _Phantomhive_.

And while he was at it, if Ciel could help the demon clear up the shadowy, _missing_ clips from his memory that he'd felt, like a distant feeling that _something important_ was gone, erased like the morning dew was dried by the heat of the sun, then perhaps he'd actually have something worth his while...

**End Chapter Four**

_A/N:_

_... You know, if I was a meaner person, I could've stopped the chapter at 'calm chaos'. Now wouldn't _that_ have been a lovely cliffhanger! XD_

_My big fear here is that I didn't keep them in character. It's more difficult to do then I imagined, and while keeping Sebastian and Ciel in character when they're separate is relatively simple, the second they're together, everything becomes so frustratingly ambiguous! I hope I did a decent job of it!_

_My favorite scene to write was most likely the door scene. It has so much foreboding it's overflowing! XD I _highly_ recommend listening to a certain piece of music while reading it (or just to get the overall feel of the moment). I wrote while inspired by it, and it fits so _perfectly_ it's scary!:_

_**Shinrabansho no Sasayaki – Nabari no Ou OST**_

_As for why Sebastian didn't recognize Alois like he did the others? I guess it's food for thought... (because I'm evil like that! XD)_

_I hope you enjoyed reading, and I'm looking forward to your impressions and feedback (a little bit impatiently, I'll admit it! XD)_

'_Til next time! :D_


End file.
